Beauties and the Beasts[Africatastrophe Act II]

"Tch! Fuck off brat! Go fight your own damn battle before sticking your nose in mine!"

Perceptive as she was, Amaranta was only accounting for one opponent. Klein was handling the brown-haired brat down below, after all. Of course, it was precisely because she hadn't expected a sudden attack from another source that Kaminari's combination was able to earn purchase. What the fuck was Klein doing that allowed this bitch to vanish and appear at her back anyway!? None of those questions would matter much now. Rikujuro and Raikoho merited the ideal result Kaminari sought. Pillars of light bounded her arms while a streaking bolt of lightning exploited crashed directly into her body.

The limits of her hierro were being challenged under the destructive weight of Kaminari's combination, and that challenge proved even more difficult as that bastard had appeared to emerge relatively unscathed against her attack. An act that seemed to only exacerbate her anger further, rage painting her expression as she forced herself to break through the pillars of light that confined her body. Physical strength elevated to its peak by overwhelming fury. A fool ought to pay for his mistake on the battlefield, and here she was, this fucking brown-haired scum, interrupting their battle, singlehandedly allowing ensuring he wouldn't suffer full scale damage in the face of her assault.

Even as she broke free from those pillars, Amaranta found herself on the receiving end of another attack, the sickle of his Tento's Zanpakuto crashing right across her frame. On account of her durable skin outside of hierro and the current boost in energy she received, she was able to avoid receiving a cleaving wound across her frame. Did she emerge relatively unscathed, though? Of course not. A clean cut lay across her belly, and there were burn marks scattered across her back and arms as a result of taking a Raikoho from behind. Finding her footing across the air, the leonine woman swing her fists forward even in the midst of his tornado.

"Keh! Letting a woman fight your battles for you, eh? Disappointing. You better strike me like you want to kill me. Mark my words. When I take back the momentum, I'm going to brutalize both of you."

Fuck it. These two wanted to throw hands? Fine. She'd fuck both of their asses up. Fueled by her agitation alone, Amaranta roared forward with a fist right at Tento's midsection. Regardless of whether he blocked or not, an enhanced explosion would accompany her attack---threatening to send him flying back a few meters if he wasn't careful. It was somewhat difficult to manipulate her flames here, but she needed a moment to to adapt to her predicament, anyway.

How expected. An Arrancar with a one track mind and another who would fire indiscriminately, even targeting their ally. Amaranta was pissed at her, but didn't retaliate against her surprise attack, yet. Either way, it gave her the freedom to concentrate on the incoming volley of "cero" from the other Arrancar.

Shit...

She moved to dodge, a few flying by her, but the sheer number was overwhelming. One struck her left upper arm, another cut through her pants, grazing her right thigh, and before she allowed another to strike her, "Danku." Kaminari rapidly created a light blue colored, translucent, barrier between herself and the volley of cero. Once created, Kaminari shunpo'd backwards, at the same angle the cero were flying, keeping herself at the same path as them and behind the danku she created, which kept her in the shield's area of protection. The rest of the cero slammed against her danku, shattering it after she gave herself enough time to gain distance.

"Danku!" Kaminari created the barrier again as the rest were coming, but that extra time she created allowed her to put more effort into it. A much larger and denser version erected, blocking the rest of the volley. Still behind the standing Danku, she looked down to the cloud of reiryoku. Until she figured out a way to deal with that, she'd just continue avoiding the attacks that came out of it. Shunpo'ing back, Kaminari stopped some two hundred feet away from the battlefield, intentionally placing Amaranta and Tento's fight away from her and Klein's sightlines.

With a quick breath, Kaminari began gathering the energy for a stronger kido, one she planned on expanding over her battlefield. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!" Kaminari pressed her palm forward, a massive wave of blue energy washing over the battlefield, but aimed and created large enough to specifically overwhelm a big portion of Klein's red misted territory. "On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens. Hadō seventy-three, Sōren Sōkatsui!"

Finally! Finally Amaranta had suffered something to her hierro that seemed to do something. Anything to the beautiful warrioress they were facing. Exaggerated heaves of breaths came as Tento’s body paused for a moment. Blow landing from Kamnari’s efforts to lead way to the tag on effect of the ebony warrior. In a growing change in attitude and demeanor though, Tento said nothing at Amaranta’s stabbing words. Letting the wind course forward against her fist into a roaring counter towards the tornado.

The elements met, wind and blade striking against her efforts and sucking out the oxygen and air around her. A stagger to her senses and ability. As short as it could be perhaps, it did do something to slow her punch to his midsection as she let loose a roar. Just enough time for him to weave his torso away from her strike. Flying up in an upward jump as Tento let out a grunt while throwing out another slash to Amaranta’s body using the blade of his sickle. Safe to say he avoided her punch but not the explosion that accompanied it! The fiery shock flew him back several meters, all before his feet focused on the air, grappling down in a slide before coming to a halt. An eye closed in a grimace as he looked up focused on keeping his bearings of the combat environment. The last pieces of the top parts of his uniform burned to ash. Burnt marks layering his arms and chest as the fabric faded away. Yet another toll mark added to his body from this group battle. He really needed to thank Kaminari when this was over, her defensive kido really did wonders from keeping the many blows he had suffered from Amaranta from being critical or crippling…

Although a voice spoke. Coming in a soft manner it felt a lot more present than it had been before. With a bit of news as well. “Oooooo…babe?”, Tento said in a slightly playful tone while he was pushed away from Amaranta by her attack. Grin on his face. These two were a couple? She was into short kings!! Heheheheh. Oh if they weren't in a serious battle Tento would have to ask Klein how he had game that good.

With a flare of unleashed energy though Tento’s senses were challenged once again. Arrows flying out of that mist, powerful pieces of energy. In a blur of retreat Tento shunpoed to create distance between him and the array of bloody energy attacks using the space due from Amaranta’s blow to get a head start. With a flick quickly flick swing of his fan a feather detached. A whirling storm of wind flying as a shield coursing in front of him expanding in size as he evaded the first initial ‘ceros’ before breaking down into a stream of bladed wind strikes to collide with the numerous ceros that continued to come afterwards. He then moved, hearing the first ‘Danku’ from Kaminari’s lips. The overwhelming number he knew would eventually consume the winded defensive domain, and in haste he came under the protection of the quickly built Danku before traveling again. Moving alongside Kaminari’s retreat as the barrier was broken and a second was made. A rapid breath coming as he did so in a steady flow to catch his breathing and relax his body through this soft respite. Although grimaces all the same through teeth. He felt it, the burns in the remaining parts of his shinigami uniform. And the marks to his form. Grazes to his torso, arm, left leg. Endured by traveling as several ceros were burned and cut through his pants. Many wheezed close to their mark but not as many as he expected to come if it wasn’t for Kaminari’s second Danku barrier.

“Thanks”, Tento worded to her with a nod of his head as shunpoed away, going back to her individual battle against Klein before Tento shunpoed back to face Amaranta. With a crackle the sound of the radio in the Shinigami’s ears came to life after Kaminari unleashed her . Hadō seventy-three, Sōren Sōkatsui. A shaking unworldly amount of spiritual energy coming from all corners as the sectors under battle were going crazy. A wonderment and concern of battles underway in the Ebony Shinigami’s mind. How were the 4th division members? 3rd seat Shura? Captain Kanae? Before being answered. A thunderous wave of thunder and lightning kido erupted before the sound of a fierce voice sounded in his ear. With an urgent message…

This is Kurata Shura, 3rd Seat of the Fourth Division. My position is compromised, I am withdrawing to the Senkaimon effective immediately. This.... This hollow is on par with you, Captain Kanae Nagoshi.



With a crackle it ended. As fast as it came. The sudden realization of two of his division member’s energy was clear to him. The outward senses registering to his diverted focus. One…practically gone, all used up? Injured, Shura. One, pulled to its limit as it faced off at a power that for all intents and purposes made Tento shake in his boots spiritually. It was their Captain, and facing whatever monster it seemed to be just as strong as her. Maybe….stronger? A deep sigh came as Tento’s sword was held steadily in front of his body pointed to Amaranta. Fan to the side as it was suddenly let go as a veil of darkness seemed to be on Tento’s face. Spiritual energies coming in waves to him of their state of being. “Me, acting like this when others are giving their all…”, Tento voice called out. Heavy voice layered in an acid deep determination that threatened to melt away all opposing him in this instant. Bubbling at the surface just waiting to overflow. There was no light hearted joy, flirtatious undertone, or goofy spirit. Just a serene calmness as his hollowified eyes pierced out from his mask at Amaranta. “PATHETIC!!!”.

What...kind of a man does that make me? A hand quickly went up to his face. Grasp in a lion’s claw as a well of energy shook the air. Spiritual energy on the polar opposite of Tento’s. One that was not warm, embracing, or nurturing. But instead, dark, cold, and…murderous. In a downward shift a hollow mask appeared on his face as he let out a roar. A curved mask that fit his face perfectly, jagged edges and ends, the lower part of his mouth filled with nothing but a dark abyss. White strands of his hollow mask acting like barriers to keep it contained. Claw-like marks protruded from the top side of the mask four on each side, with the centerpiece strangely being a divided swirl. One color black with a white dot and the other with white color and black dot. Spiritual energy violently exploded out in a controlled quake as a red glow overtook Tento’s form to blend with his brown reiatsu.

Letting out a low hissing breath, Tento’s eyes locked onto Amaranta. The spirit of the Shinigami and his growing energy came out to bare to her. A twisting coil of red and brown spiritual energy mixed with his spirits roar. A warrior’s wrathful malicious intent. The sound of a lion’s cry and hawk’s scry slamming into her very core, the spiritual pressure screaming through the area in the visage the two creatures glaring out. The light beamed into the air to signify Tento’s determination as he gripped his sword and fan, the growing color coming to his form in an unrelenting light. Vanishing. Tento swings his sword in a strike as he dashed forward in a burst of improved speed multiple levels above his previous ability, flailing sword spinning as he came. Throwing out a fierce number of slashes, three, rotating continuously in a horizontal cyclone pattern. Aiming to break through Amaranta’s defense and appear behind her before swinging his blade against her back in an immediate follow up arrack. Unleashing an unearthly amount of wind skyward; threatening to split the very clouds above them.

"Tch."

Amaranta wasn't exactly pleased at the perception that Klein wasn't taking his battle seriously with that brown-haired piece of shit, overwhelmingly pissed by the turn of events unfolding. What was his game here? Did he even want her fighting here on the fucking battlefield? Or was he simply toying around with his food and playing the long-game with her? Rolling her eyes, Amaranta returned her gaze to her current battle. That was the intent, naturally, but things truly were never quite that easy when it came to battles like these. God, part of her reveled in solo combat precisely because of bullshit like this.

Klein loosed a numerous volley of arrows from above, and if her familiarity from their first battle proved correct, they weren't typically ideal for maintaining energy once they hit you. Even now, she didn't understand the bare minimum of their effects, but for someone who had little to no intention of bowing out of the dance early, and someone who had no intention of offering that neglectful bastard even a degree of her current reservoir of power, she descended out of the general atmosphere of that onslaught, amusingly using her quick reflexes to flash and dance about behind Tento who was essentially using Kaminari's barriers as a way of protecting himself.

Copying his movements enough to avoid getting caught within the full whirlwind of those arrows, Amaranta hadn't emerged entirely unscathed, but that was fine. That bastard better make good use of all the energy he was accumulating from that wave of arrows he let loose. Fortunately, Kaminari would avoid the full-scale of Amaranta's ire for now, taking her battle away from their own, but if she hadn't escaped by the time this battle was over, she would definitely be paying that bitch a visit sometime soon.

What met her gaze next was entertaining, enough to brush away the anger boiling within her spirit, raw fury transmuting into blood-colored excitement. Was that a hollow mask forming on his face? The pandemonium of noise that filled the atmosphere might as well be the feeble noises of a cub and a pigeon compared to the fire that filled her spirits now. No matter how many levels he elevated, she would ascend higher.

She was the superior force here. The true apex predator. In response to his own rise in spiritual pressure, her muscles flexed, and a wide-ranging heat wave seemed to expand around the area, propelled forward by her reiryoku. Normally, in her Ressurecion state, it could only extend as far as forty meters, but she intended to expand it further than that, using her reiryoku as a catalyst.

Expanding rapidly, that heat wave threatened to encompass even Kaminari and Klein's battlefield as her spiritual pressure seemed to pulsate and rise in proportion with her fury. Forming a claymore of fire resembling the zanpakuto she wielded in her sealed state, Amaranta maintained enough poise to meet him head on as he soared in with a flurry of cyclonic strikes, deflecting each of them with her blade in an unyielding stand.

Furthermore, at the moment he intended to vanish and appear behind her back, her senses, heightened to the maximum, alerted her to her presence as that shifty bastard launched a formidable attack in the form of a lare blade of wind. Flipping him the finger as she dodged it, thrilled to avoid his attack like he ended up being saved by her own, Amaranta actually took a moment to think of something.

"As fun as you look right now, I'm done with you. Your partner on the other hand..."

Why play fair anymore? She wasn't going to waste an opportunity to pay that woman back, and her perquisa was potent enough to track her, even from a distance of 200 feet. Turning her body in a fashion akin to a fighter jet, Amaranta descended downward through the sky. Like a burning comet soaring through the air, it became abundantly clear where she was setting her eyes - that crimson cloud that blanketed Kaminari's atmosphere.

Between her natural speed and sonido that defied the common laws of mind, what appeared to be a long distance was little more than a light foot race for Kaminari. Aiming for nothing but the purest form of revenge, she cocked her free hand forward like a gun, appearing right above the cloud in the midst of her Sokatsui attack, releasing a large ray of energy from her finger like a gunshot. Far from finished, Amaranta swept further inward around whatever remained of the mist, turning her blade of fire into a large arrow that she swung at her from above.

"Did you think I'd let you get off so easily, bitch?! Klein likes to play around a lot. I'm not so kind and forgiving!"

She would be prepared for Tento, too. At this point, she no longer cared. She would fight both of them. Like hell she'd go out without a fight. Was it enticing to face Tento with his hollow mask? Sure. Was it equally more enticing to get even with this fucking scum? Doubly so. If her attacks missed, well... they'd go right to a source that could benefit from them tremendously.

The whole battlefield shifted very quickly. Tento released his mask, Klein began splitting his focus between the two of them, and Amaranta changed her focus completely to Kaminari. Good, maybe they would entertain her yet.

As Amaranta decided to copy Kaminari and attempt a sneak attack during her Sokatsuki, Kaminari used her free hand, which held her zanpakuto, and raised the blade between herself and the ray of energy. The attack slammed into the blade, and Amaranta would notice that her reiryoku was beginning to disappear, to disintegrate as Kaminari tried holding it all back. Unfortunately, she couldn't. What she could not nullify pushed passed her blade, forcing her to shunpo away, but not before her left arm was grazed, the heat badly scorching her skin.

And before she had a real chance to react to the pain, Amaranta came in for another attack. The arrow Amaranta struck with came down to the ground as Kaminari instantly shunpo'd away from that. It was clear that Amaranta's strength would overwhelm her own, so even attempting to block would likely lead to her death here. Of course, a moment later, Kaminari caught the sight of red out of the corner of her eyes. Klein She had let him escape her mind for a second.

"Henkyousen!" Kaminari called out. A transparent blue shield snapped up around her like a sphere, protecting her from all sides. Normally, she could spread it out, but this time she kept it somewhat narrow around herself, giving it a bit more durability. Either way, it began cracking under the attack of the midget's arrows, so she pushed an extra amount of reiryoku in creating a second barrier. She called out its name again and a second was forged just inside the firsts cracking shell.

As the first barrier shattered under the pressure of Klein's arrows, any coming attacks would strike the second and give her a moment to cast another kido. "Bakudō #62. Hyapporankan." Above each of Kaminari's shoulders, a bluish rod of energy formed. She dropped her barrier, and with a flick of her hand, a rod was sent flying at each of them. They broke into hundreds more rods as they shot toward their targets, the spread of the rods being quite large, making it difficult to dodge.

There we go. Now this is something she could work with. Much as she enjoyed toying with her food, this battle had lost its initial luster thanks to this damn brat. Of course, that wasn't to say she was completely disinterested with the current course of events. Between avoiding and flipping off the play boy up in the skies above, and Klein finally showing some measure of interest in drawing this battle to its conclusion, the leonine woman could hardly contain the grin tearing across her face.

This woman was a one-trick pony. All she utilized was an array of spells, but one could only stretch themselves so far before they reached their limit. It was amusing to watch her attempt to push back the entire scope of her spirit power, and recognize that such an attempt was pretty damn useless. Amusing to such a degree that booming laughter filled the atmosphere as the woman vanished and reappeared out of the trajectory of her arrow. That was fine. She wasn't particularly aiming to land that blow, considering it a warning shot to her presence more than anything. Unlike this scum, she could honorably announce and crush her opposition without avoiding them like a coward.

Klein's arrows certainly aided in giving her the opportunity to drum up something special of her own. The moment she used that barrier to defend herself, Amaranta formed columns of fire around her body, condensing them into the shape of large hands. Each hand of conflagrated fury burned with otherworldly intensity, their heat elevated to such a scorching degree that should even one attack land, it would surely burn flesh and bone alike.

Sonido propelled her body forward precisely at the moment she executed her second parlor trick. It would have been pretty formidable if she chose to utilize it like that thunder bolt from earlier. As it stood now, it did little to graze her augmented hierro. Hands of hellfire cut through the pillars of energy that sought to strike her from above. In a burst of overwhelming speed and efficacy, Amaranta appeared at the woman's back like a relentless demon.

"Gettin' real tired of these spells, kido. One-trick ponies like you are easy to account for once you're backed into a corner. Care to show me what your swordplay amounts to brat?"

If her strength lay solely in the demon arts, her plan had become abundantly clear. Contain her within a hellscape of flame she couldn't escape from. Like a bullet that had broke past the sound barrier, Amaranta swung her fist forward at every conceivable angle. If she choose to avoid her attacks again, fine. Every swing of her fist was accompanied by those hands of fire that would extend the overall range of her attacks. She would no longer give this woman any distance to breathe. Wherever she chose to run, she would give chase. It was befitting of her nature as an apex predator, after all.

Kaminari's concerns were confirmed. Tento allowed himself to hollowfy mid-battle, though clearly had no control over himself in that form. The man went on a flurry of attacks and then froze up in the middle of their battle. Frankly, she wouldn't be shocked if it was intentional; he was friends with the female after all.

Now, the Arrancar were conveniently allowed to focus all of their attention on Kaminari, putting her at even more of a disadvantage. Forget this... As Amaranta came in from behind, a now pissed off Kaminari moved a tad differently than before. Since Amaranta was stupidly tall, as the punch came down, Kaminari moved backwards into Amaranta and under her punch. "Byakurai!" Kaminari yelled, her anger in the moment creating a fierce shriek as she pointed her index finger right at Amaranta's chest, being at point-blank range making it much more difficult to dodge as the streak of blue energy burst forward like lightning.

Though it would inadvertently protect this female Arrancar, Kaminari's next move came with her occupied hand. Taking a step with shunpo, she ended up right behind Amaranta again, but this time was swinging her zanpakuto in an arc between both of them and Klein. With an outpour of her reiryoku, and a rather large swing, Kaminari used Fragmented Petal, which created a large sheet of her nullification reiryoku, therefore creating a barrier between the women and that cowardly child across the way. "Scum..." Kaminari muttered before shunpoing back.

Appearing next to Tento, Kaminari pulled a long white cloth from the inner pocket of her shihakusho. The cloth immediately began coiling around the both of them. "I suggest you come with me." Kaminari shouted toward Tento, anger still dripping in her tone. "You lost us this battle." The cloth tightened, swirling around them like a tornado before a white flash and they were both mils away from the battlefield. Kaminari dropped to one knee, completely out of breath. She wasn't exactly sure where she had brought them. Her only focus was to move fifty miles away from the battlefield. "Unforgiveable." Kaminari glared, watching Tento closely.