Hazuki leaped over the wall of the Academy and, as quicky as her legs could carry her, rushed down the hill and towards the distant Seireitei. Here, not a single sign of battle could be seen. The stone stairs that led up to the Academy grounds were untouched, pristine, and the Hollow presences that Hazuki and Hildr felt were weaker—no greater than the Hollows that might have been found on Earth.
Above, two Shinigami presences all but raced through the Rukongai sky, over the walls, and into the Academy grounds. The first of, as any remaining souls hoped, many Shinigami to follow.
Hazuki made it two more, great, leaping bounds thanks to the refinement of her Flash Step before pink petals—carried by a sudden explosion in the distance—fluttered down all around them.
Then, Hazuki crashed face-first into something. The impact bloodied her nose and sent her down to the hillside, crashing against the stone stairs. Hildr rolled out of her grip, but remained within reach. In her path: nothing. Open air. As if she had crashed into an unseen wall, or simply a ghost.
In this case, the dead.
Like glass, the air shimmered before her. Stone stairs cracked and gave, crushing into the shape of a three-toed footprint thick enough for either young woman to lay down across it—perhaps a few times. The figured shimmered again and revealed a towering presence no shorter than the Huge Hollows Hazuki first faced, cornered and alone back in the courtyard.
Not a single iota of spiritual pressure to be found, no matter how hard either of them looked.
Steam and a breeze suddenly rolled over Hildr and Hazuki both, before they could even stand. The shimmering figure vanished and, in its place, a silhouette stood. The steam slowly settled, cleared, and revealed a new form: the same height as Hazuki, a thin build, with hair worn long and bangs cut short. Tight, well-defined muscle, a body built for an athlete, a swimmer, or a young woman who simply lived a hard, physical life, devoid of any of the blemishes such a living brought.
As the steam continued to thin, it became obvious: it was Hazuki herself. She stood in an unnatural pose before her, as if it didn’t know how to balance. Its skin was a pallid, unnatural white, and Hollow Holes covered its body; from the exposed skin of its arms, to the matching robes it wore to mimic Hazuki herself, to her legs. Even one of her cheeks had a hole where white, deathly flesh should have been. The eyes, sclera black, were even whited over like a blind man’s. One stared forward, while the other pointed off in another direction—until it snapped forward at Hazuki as well.
From the flesh of one of Hazuki’s arms, a blade emerged, identical in shape, size, and even its details—except white, and without the glimmer of steel.
Yet, the Hollow didn’t move. It simply looked at her, weapon in-hand, and stared with its white-stained gaze.
Around them, both women felt two further events: Hollows all across the Academy began to fade out of the awareness of their sixth sense. Some that prowled about the hill of the Academy did the same—while others, instead, rushed towards them.
Mirror Hollow appears!
Above, two Shinigami presences all but raced through the Rukongai sky, over the walls, and into the Academy grounds. The first of, as any remaining souls hoped, many Shinigami to follow.
Hazuki made it two more, great, leaping bounds thanks to the refinement of her Flash Step before pink petals—carried by a sudden explosion in the distance—fluttered down all around them.
Then, Hazuki crashed face-first into something. The impact bloodied her nose and sent her down to the hillside, crashing against the stone stairs. Hildr rolled out of her grip, but remained within reach. In her path: nothing. Open air. As if she had crashed into an unseen wall, or simply a ghost.
In this case, the dead.
Like glass, the air shimmered before her. Stone stairs cracked and gave, crushing into the shape of a three-toed footprint thick enough for either young woman to lay down across it—perhaps a few times. The figured shimmered again and revealed a towering presence no shorter than the Huge Hollows Hazuki first faced, cornered and alone back in the courtyard.
Not a single iota of spiritual pressure to be found, no matter how hard either of them looked.
Steam and a breeze suddenly rolled over Hildr and Hazuki both, before they could even stand. The shimmering figure vanished and, in its place, a silhouette stood. The steam slowly settled, cleared, and revealed a new form: the same height as Hazuki, a thin build, with hair worn long and bangs cut short. Tight, well-defined muscle, a body built for an athlete, a swimmer, or a young woman who simply lived a hard, physical life, devoid of any of the blemishes such a living brought.
As the steam continued to thin, it became obvious: it was Hazuki herself. She stood in an unnatural pose before her, as if it didn’t know how to balance. Its skin was a pallid, unnatural white, and Hollow Holes covered its body; from the exposed skin of its arms, to the matching robes it wore to mimic Hazuki herself, to her legs. Even one of her cheeks had a hole where white, deathly flesh should have been. The eyes, sclera black, were even whited over like a blind man’s. One stared forward, while the other pointed off in another direction—until it snapped forward at Hazuki as well.
From the flesh of one of Hazuki’s arms, a blade emerged, identical in shape, size, and even its details—except white, and without the glimmer of steel.
Yet, the Hollow didn’t move. It simply looked at her, weapon in-hand, and stared with its white-stained gaze.
Around them, both women felt two further events: Hollows all across the Academy began to fade out of the awareness of their sixth sense. Some that prowled about the hill of the Academy did the same—while others, instead, rushed towards them.
Mirror Hollow appears!