"I hear it-" Spoken softly, patiently and with his tone reserved the impossibly young Shinigami stood atop a building. He had his eyes closed as a soft, warm breeze blew passed him tussling his clothes and carrying the many unsaid words of the wilds. It was a warm summer night in Karakura town where the stars were hidden away by the jealous clouds and the city was long asleep as all the human lights died away to darkness. Once again, the young Shinigami was sent here on a simple, supposedly simple, task though one unlike what he was ordinarily given. Here, in this silent-still town he was to be the warrior he was not. He was to brandish his sword and cleave through the bottomless darkness to expose the hidden evils that lurked in the deepest pockets.

Standing here, Shinigami uniform clean and fresh, the 4th Seat of the 4th Squad was motionless atop that high building. He didn't feel or see or hear with his body anymore. He was so focused on his task that he left his physical form practically vulnerable in this frozen night. He was listening, without his ears, for that sound; he was looking, without his eyes, for that silhouette; he was waiting, with his very soul, for that moment. As if a distant echo he faintly picked up the pitter-patter of very small feet in the distance. The night was moving. It was slowly waking up to the dark play that was about to start in only a few moments.

Gasping, as if he hadn't taken a breath for a decade, Tataki returned to himself. As if a map had been colored before his eyes, Tataki knew exactly where to go and how long it would take. He knew where the traverse this abyss in order to find the conglomerating evil that grew within it's depths. Playing in the darkness was their greatest advantage, it was everything that made them what they were. They weren't only participants of this play however. As they moved, silently and en-shadowed by their element, so did Tataki. As they awoke, mustering their strength, Tataki's sword was at the ready to swing through their devious intentions and their black hearts.

Tataki took skip forward, propelling himself right off the building. His eyes slowly opened as he felt the winds pick up and his uniform start to spread. The moment where he without any footing, without support by anything, was exhilarating. He was falling, straight for the hard ground below, and he was gathering speed with every second. He felt heavy, almost as if he could hardly move against the freefall. His heart. His heart felt the heaviest. With each pounding beat he felt as if it were going to fly out from his chest. Tataki wasn't all that patient of a person, so all the build up from having to stand atop that building in meditation had left him slightly on edge now. On edge may even be an understatement. His emotions were bustling forth, erupting outwards, and that peaceful almost lazy look on his falling face as he fell, eyes hardly opened and lips slightly parted, didn't give away the erupting volcano that was raging and burning within.

This wasn't a game. This was serious. This was work. He was going to use every ounce of will that he had against his opposition. He was motivated, completely, and the threat of death was at the back of his head. He could easily make a mistake and be ripped apart. He could easily be outnumbered, overwhelmed, and devoured by those hungry monsters. He could be overpowered by an unprecedented power that would crush his immature ability with a simple bat of its arm...All this only motivated him. As he was falling, fully analyzing the risk and the dangers, he only felt the drive to put all the more effort into succeeding. He wouldn't die today.

Only a few yards from the ground, Tataki flipped. Bracing himself on the ground, it looked as if all the gathered force and weight that had fallen with him just ran passed his body as a rushing wind flew down towards the ground, tossing papers out of a overstuffed trashcan and tossing them into the air. Tataki leapt forward, a great burst of speed following, and ran upon the air for a 6 yards before touching ground and, in a flash, using Shunpo.

Vanishing and reappearing he was only a few feet away and it had detected him. There was a nice gap between them and Tataki could not use Shunpo more than once in a row in this situation. Using it more than once would leave him out of breath and a third time his muscles burning only to be sore in the morning. Speed with his legs and back wasn't what Tataki was good with anyway. Practice after practice; lesson after lesson; the boy excelled quicker than most others and drew out a strength that was his own. A power that was not the same as all the others and a power that he could rely on despite his inexperience.

It was black with a white face. It had a completely black body, defined muscles clear in the legs and arms especially, and its face resembled a rhinoceros in that it was wide, had a broad crown, and had a horn on the bridge of where one would say the nose would be. It's eyes were hollowed out, just like that hole in it's chest, and it radiated a characteristic energy that was the definition of evil. Tataki approached, on foot and it roared, throwing it's arms up, before it ran in to meet him. It's arm twiched, strangely, as the rock-hard muscles it held grew broader in that arm that it had. It wasn't a novice and it wasn't young. This was one that had feed on more than a few souls in it's own immature life. Tataki almost saw himself as he dashed towards that creature.

Tataki's hand slowly moved to the handle of his weapon and his eyes finally gave way to that fiery emotion exploding within. Tataki didn't think. He didn't have any feeling as he and the Hollow exchanged blows. Unfortunately, the Hollow missed and Tataki hadn't. Simply ducking under that power swing, Tataki took advantage of the enemy from there.

The Hollow clumsy came to a halt. It's abrupt stop from it's own full charge almost force it into the building next to it. "Hahaha! You missed, Shinigami!" The Hollow boasted, it's voice sounding as if it were coming from a defective speaker. It turned, but stopped mid turn.

"I cut you 7 times...You didn't see any of them?" As if following his words the Hollow just fell apart. Limbs perfectly cut, a head cleaved in half, it's chest looked like it had been turned into a family friendly pizza and all that was left was disintegrating ash as it was purified just that quick. It wasn't that the Hollow had missed the swing, it was that it was too fast. As quick as Tataki could tighten his grip around the grip of his weapon he had swung. Ordinary eyes, and even some of the most trained eyes, would have missed those slashes. They were fast, within a second of a second, and were broad enough to leave thin cuts into the wall on the right side of the Hollow.

Tataki was crouched low, looking at the Hollow from the corner of his right eye and his hand still on his weapon. His weapon was still in it's sheathe, clean and hidden from view as if it hadn't been withdrawn at all. That skill, to unsheathe, slash, and return his weapon was Tataki's secret skill. It was something he had yet mastered, though something that could possibly label as a genius, because he really didn't put all that much time into learning it. He simply developed it because it seemed like a good idea.

Here comes the other one... It was a surprise attack on Tataki. It was a sad one, using it's comrades death as a distraction as it made an attack for the enemy's backside. Tataki saw through this level of tactics and he could keep up with their level of movements. "Gush-" A hint at a release? Tataki's spiritual energy raised, shooting great lengths in a mere moment as he prepared to use his Zanpakuto. He could feel her life, radiating like star in this gluttonous black. Her power and his power were together, in union, swirling together to bolster Tataki's spiritual power to it's maximum. It was now very apparent that he outclassed these low level Hollow by a great amount. "Namekuji-hime!" The sword shifted state instantaneously. The formally solid, slim sword became a a forked blade with a very narrow empty center that was almost invisible. The weapon had two points, almost like a dual edge, at it's end because of the break and from it came a energized substance emerald green substance that came out of this needle-thin bridge.

Spinning around, Tataki swung to slash at a Hollow that had rushed at his back. This one didn't speak, or, perhaps, it didn't know how? It was younger than the other, though likely had just as many souls. It's lack of specialization made it almost seem like the lowest level hollow, though it wasn't stupid and it had an extra pair of muscular arms. The Hollow, unlike the last, was a bit quicker too, managing to evade Tataki's broad turn around slash. Even though the Hollow managed to avoid the slash the green substance that gushed out of the sword splashed on it. There was quite a bit, managing to thinly coat the Hollow at the front in the green substance and splash on it's arms and feet. Tataki lazily let Namekuji-hime strike the ground. From her, the green substance leaked out endlessly and created a pool towards the Hollow.

The Hollow roared as it wanted to jump back, but was stuck. It's fists were stuck closed and it had trouble moving it's abdomen and neck around. It struggled a moment before it managed to, forcefully, jump back tearing the bottom of it's unguarded feet. The Hollow fell instead of landed and rolled on it's side as, using it's still clenched fists, sat up.

"This is your end,". Tataki shot an almost spark of of his energy into his weapon, striking at that green substance, and it erupted becoming a large, angry blaze of heat and flames. The fire exploded forth, running along that pool that was made, to create a firewave that completely engulfed the downed Hollow in a hellish, explosive attack. It was was drowned in fire as the very green ooze that had stuck to it lit up and burned it to that familiar black ash. Tataki closed an eye as the flames raged. Standing right in front of it he felt the searing flames as well. It was enough to quickly make him sweat and make his uniform uncomfortably warm, though he was fine being even that close.

"Looks like that one is defeated," Tataki noted as the flames settled down to small collections of embers here and there. The fuel was ate up and the spiritual energy exhausted so the fire would die as quickly as it was born. Now for the last one...Where did it go? Tataki wondered. There was one more he heard here. One more body that should have been in this exact spot...But it was gone now. Had it run away as quickly as he came? Tataki couldn't exactly tell at the moment where it was, but it had to be close by. Namekuji-hime stopped her dooling, but she was still released and prepared to fight.

I watch all this from the shadow on a roof hiding my reiatsu to the point that you have to be very near me to tell it a reiatsu of a arrencar. Any way here i was just starking this small group of hollow for two of them had shown the signs of being worth hunting later. Then out of nowhere this boy of a shinigami comes along and defeats the two that i had my eyes on in the matter of a few moves. I just dont like that one bit taking prey from me that one thing you never do. With that i swing into my what i like to call rampaging tiger personality. I sonido to the last hollow standing that not doing anything and just do a rage induce beat down on it. I beat it till it reduced to a bloodly pulp in seconds then i do a powerful punch though it mask killing it and producing a shock wave. I then place my smoldering eyes on the shinigami and let my reiatsu go which to him would most likely feel like a sudden springing up of razor wire cutting into his body. i then say though my mask piece with the growling of a tiger in the under tones. now what are you doing stealing other people prey shinigami. I hope that you at lest know how to stay alive. Oh maybe this might clue you in as to who you are fighting as a hollow i was given the code name shadow tiger. i wonder he this boy even knows about that code name and that the shinigami back then where almost sending captain class shinigami after me.

A young man holding a short sword in its sheathe in his left hand and an open mandarin jacket showing a plain white shirt underneath, stepped again from the gates, Hell Butterfly on his shoulder, Xen'Zel looked around, quickly scanning for any Hollow activity in the immediate area. Feeling none he relaxed slightly and floated down to a telephone pole and started concentrating. "There's supposed to be two members of the Fourth Squad and a few Hollow around" Breezy spoke to his mind.

"Got it, I think I found them" Xen responded. No sooner than he opened his eyes did he feel the reiatsu emitted from a Hollow. "And this is a big one too, feels stronger than our guys. Better get there fast, I wanna see how this turns out."
In the blink of an eye Xen'Zel was no longer standing atop the phone pole, flashing into appearance for brief moments as he sped towards his allies.

"I really hope I don't have to do anything and we can send someone else to deal with this..." He thought to himself, running along the rooftops.

I think I know where- Tataki's careful thoughts were interrupted by the brutal smashing, thrashing and the shocking quake that came behind it. Tataki's eyes immediately darted over to that sound...To that crash. What could have done something like that? Tataki's eyes widened a moment as he caught a glimpse of something in the distance. It wasn't far off, though it was a few yards off. That body in the distance was small from here.

"Urg! Grunting, the Shinigami fell to a knee, grasping his chest. He felt like the wind had been kicked from his body as a colossal tidal wave of energy rammed into him. It hurt. His entire body hurt. He felt like his skin were being eaten away by a dust that washed him over. This dust, which was what Tataki was using to try and figure what was truly going on, was heavy and vast. As if it were digging, with it's hungry teeth, down to his bone moving any part of his body. Even breathing easily hurt.

The words following this demonic wave of power and energy seemed to snap Tataki back to reality. Is this a Hollow? No. This is something stronger, though similar. I've never felt an energy like this. It's so....Evil and hungry. It's like his spiritual energy is trying to tear me apart all on it's own. Tightening his grip on his weapon and managing to, with obvious difficulty, Tataki stood up and staggered back a bit. He was sweating. It was pretty clear that the Hollow releasing his spiritual energy was affecting Tataki, though he had recovered some.

"Well-" Tataki started, swallowing as he sheathed his weapon slowly. The green substance was not flowing now. Tataki did fight best with his weapon away, though this wasn't a situation where simply fighting would help him. Tataki would have to be extremely careful. "I don't exactly recall your name, but I'm pretty sure that I never challenged you exactly. It would probably be best...If we both just walk-" Tataki stopped mid sentence. It was really starting to sound awful. Tataki wasn't trying goad the Shadow Tiger into fighting. Tataki hadn't been prepared for this and he hadn't originally sensed him and now everything was happening too fast.

Dang. It's going to attack me. Knowing Hollow, it won't stop until I'm dead so I have to find some way to stay alive...Just like it said. This is really bad, but, if I can keep a distance and take advantage of the fact it doesn't completely know what I can do... He thought, no longer speaking openly. He had to think. He needed more time to think.

One. Two.
Two Shinigami were approaching. Tataki didn't realize immeadeatly, but he did when they were pretty much there and had arrive. Tataki looked over his shoulder, which would have left him bearly looking at Noba. "Careful! There is an enemy here," Tataki couldn't really read Noba or the other Shinigami that came, which Tataki hoped caught the warning as well. Tataki's mind was running, trying to make sense of everything that was happening 100 miles an hour. Amidst these thoughts Tataki couldn't help but feel a strange sense of security. He felt a lot better now that these few had appeared. Even the horrific, painful, and heavy weight of the hollow's spiritual pressure seemed to become a little numb and unimportant when they showed up. They came towards him, whether they realized it now or not, bearing hope and possibilities on their back. They could work together. They had to work together. Their chance for survival was that much greater.

Still sweaty, Tataki kept his sword on the handle of his weapon. He had made sure to at least not leave that not-too-far-off figure out of his peripherals. The next few moments would determine everything.

I watch what happens to the shinigami as i release my reiatsu and note the effect it has on him. I crack my knuckles as i quickly think. now should i use my zans or just my bare hands and feet. Hmmm it seems that he not all that powerful but still he did take my prey and i can not forgive that. Yes bare hands got to give him a fighting chance other wise i wont be able to fully vent. i then hear what he had to say i just snort and growl a growl that felt more then heard i then say. me walk. Sorry i dont do that with out a trophy bab. i then feel the percence of two other shinigami closing in which just makes me more angry then before which makes my reiatsu sharpen. I then sonido to send a round house kick into the gut of the shinigami then spin around to his front and throw three light but strong fast punches then get into a strong foot placement to finish off with a full powered tiger claw punch aimed at his left side of his ribs and which if the punch hits the reiatsu on the fist in a shape of a tiger clay will rip though his flesh leaving the bones intact and the lung mostly intact. All in all if everything hits he at lest will have a few lightly cracked bones and a lot of blunt force truma.

They were in sight now, two Shinigami, both appeared to be young, and the Hollow. This Hollow looked different, and it felt different. It's power definitely overshadowed Xen'Zel's allies, and it looked human.

Xen'Zel stopped atop a rooftop and suppressed his reiryoku even more, so it was barely even comparable to either of his allies, about twenty yards away from the Hollow and the Shinigami standing on the ground. There were so many situations flowing through Xen's mind.
"Hit the Hollow with a bakudo and tell the two to retreat...No, that'll take too long and I don't think they could outrun this thing. Wait, I could attack the Hollow and force it to focus on me so that the two can escape...but then I'll be stuck fighting for a while."

Xen then drew his sword. "Well I want to minimize collateral damage to these buildings at least...so I'll definitely try not to use Shikai if I can help it."

Then the Hollow lunged at the Shinigami on the ground. "Dang that thing's fast..." Xen'Zel released the full force of his reiatsu at the two on the ground and at the newcomer hoping to at least slow down the attacker and stop the other from getting to close to the enemy, his energy manifesting in the form of powerful winds glittering with a jade green.

OY HOLLOW! YOU PICKED THE WRONG SHINIGAMI TO FIGHT FIRST!

The Hollow showed that he had no intention of wanting to end this peacefully. In fact, he even mentioned a trophy. Tataki leaned forward a bit, digging the balls of his feet into the ground and tightening his core. By this point, he completely anticipated an attack though...It was still performed extraordinarily fast. Tataki would have to make sure none of his own movements were wasted. He told himself this over and over. He was going to have to find some way, some means, to survive.

Then...It came. The hollow rushed in, snaping his leg like a whip, to perform a sharp and powerful roundhouse kick. Tataki lost his breath when he was kicked. He felt like someone rammed a vehicle into his gut, but he was perfectly conscious. Sliding back, Tataki had managed to brace himself enough not to go flying forward, though being a wall before a mighty kick only meant it hurt all the more. He felt it all the way to his back as the crippling pain made him feel off balance and slightly lost a moment. As the Hollow spun around, about to perform yet another attack, Tataki struck in the short gap of time that was provided. Ordinarily, Tataki would be to slow. He wasn't the sort that could keep up with a high level hollow of this sort with his legs, however, there was one thing that Tataki had that put him above other Shinigami of his level. That was his Fullswing.

In the instant that the Hollow ceased his kick and turned completely around, which left him completely open for that break in his own attacks, Tataki swung his weapon four times. The slash couldn't be seen ordinarily. The very instant it was swung, Tataki's sword returned to it's sheathe. Even this enemy, the self proclaimed great and mighty Shadow Tiger, would probably have missed the attack when he was spinning around because it was that quick. The swings were aimed for the Shadow Tiger's upper shoulders and right arm with one shooting at the side of his face towards the left eye as his spin was coming to completion. By the time the Shadow Tiger would have thrown his punches Tataki would have swung years ago. That was the Fullswing.

The slashes, which may or may not even cut Shadow Tiger, were soaked in a special green substance. They were light swings which were fast over being powerful, so it is possible that they may not even be able to give the Hollow a light cut, but that green substance was important. Whether Shadow Tiger was injured or not (which I leave up to you) didn't matter. Because it was point blank and while Shadow Tiger's back was too Tataki, there was likely no chance of avoiding it and it would cause the Shadow Tiger's next attack to fail completely as his arms were slowed and dulled by the green substance that would have been purposely aimed to cake his armpits and his back to limit, if even only slightly, his ability to use his arms. The last slash would have thrown the green substance towards that left eye and, if Shadow Tiger continued his spin around, which he would, it would splash into that left eye and possibly into the right and would, like warm glue to his eye, seal it shut or fill it up to the point that he wouldn't be able to see out of it anymore.

If the Shadow Tiger attacked regardless of his afflicted usage of his arms, he would manage those punches. They likely would be even lighter than what he would have wanted and the power in those punches lesser, just as something moving slows down if it rolls into something sticky. Wherever the punches were aimed, Tataki would be hit those three times but, before the claw attack came at him, that Fullswing would fly again and meet the Hollow's opened palm. It was a swing that was so fast it hardly made a sound and sound itself was too slow to even give it away. If it met with Shadow Tiger's palm, the green substance would gush out, completely encasing his hand. It would be warm, laced with Tataki's spiritual energy as well as the energy of his Zanpakuto, and it would be very, very sticky. The moment Tataki would sheathe his weapon again, that glue would still Shadow Tiger's palm would force whatever his palm came into contact next to be it's temporary partner.

By that point though, Tataki would have been already hit 4 times. The roundhouse to the gut then the following 3 noteworthy punches. Tataki wasn't in terrible condition, but he wasn't in perfect health by this point either.

I feel the kick connect then as i spin around to the next part of my attack i feel the slashes on my back of my shoulders and right arm thanks to my hierro it only lightly cuts me a little more then paper cuts. Then i feel a strange sticky substance hitting me there and getting into my left eye making it useless to see out of it. The three punches i still throw the first one is with my right it aimed at the collerbone on the right but it only just above a normal human punch thanks to the substance on my back and right arm so that punch would be easily shruged off. The second one by my left hand is aimed it the breastbone it only at 2 thirds of the power i wanted there still enough to give a nasty shock to the heart. The third and last punch of the combo is by my right again using reiatsu to strengthen the punch i get it to half strength of what it would of been aiming for the diaphram it will take a second or two for it to take effect and stun it for a moment. Then my tiger claw punch that i throw hit the zan of the shinigami with the knuckles hardly damaging them the reiatsu covering the fist fires off and forces the substance to back fire will most of it the reiatsu claw will still hit the left side of the chest but it will only give a flesh wound. I then sonido back to give me some space and that when i notice the other shinigami which means that i can step up my game it also inrages me more forcing more reiatsu to be emitted from me which frees up my back and right arm a bit. I then fire off 15 balas 5 at each target speard out so it makes it harder to dodge them all i then start to charge my tri tiger beam cero and so three ceros start to form in the palm of my hand spinning around a center point due to my rage i put more reiatsu into it then normal making the ceros glow more brightly.