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( OOC: So you know, Josh, you metagamed. Officially Divus has never given his true name to anyone so it's improper for anyone to know it. Divus typically uses false names, sometimes claiming he is 'Cubix' or another demon. However, at the thread where Divus captured Amaya, he used the alias 'Diablo Muerta' and pretended to be an Arrancar, and convinced most of the people that he was after fighting in a manner similar to one (giving the illusion of super-tough skin, claiming his laser attack was a special cero, etc). Joshua was present at the thread and would know him as that alias certainly if you like. But there's no way he knows Divus personally. They've never met in the past. Joshua, on the other hand, has all his information out in the open. I'd prefer you edited your post to take that metagame out of it, but it doesn't really matter to me either way. Also, you attempted to run away - just because you said you were outside doesn't mean Divus cannot intercept you. )
Divus nodded at the captain, agreeing to his words. His eyes glanced curiously over his weapon finding the musical note his zanpakuto made to be quite curious indeed! He himself was interesting though his demands were not. Divus replied rather respectfully, but kept a keen eye on Joshua. He didn't expect him to be there long. Joshua, he sensed, was far weaker than him. It wasn't strategic to fight an enemy you would certainly perish against, and Divus already guessed the boy would flee based on that concept of strategy. The shinigami who confronted him seemed the strongest, and at least had respect for his enemy instead of attacking him outright, so Divus graced Tazuma with a reply. "Yes. You're quite right. I remember I nearly defeated that one captain, but I had to go. Did that one vizard who rushed me survive? I recall he was sorely injured. It wasn't my intention to kill or cripple him, simply to put him out of combat..." Divus spoke, curiously. "I am the secret Espada, Diablo Muerta. I am the true ruler of Hueco Mundo and the most powerful Arrancar in existence. The primera is just a figurehead to draw attention. Usually I would not dare to appear and spoil my cover. However, you've come for the one I love I am sure... I will not simply allow you to kill Colbolt. " He continued, still watching Joshua out of the corner of his eye. "I don't care for Amuhya, or whatever her name was. Would you be willing to leave Colbolt be if I allowed you to take that captain? My only concern is Colbolt's life." He said, attempting to deal with the Shinigami; the offer would mean no blood would need to be spilled, and considering Divus had the advantage here in spite of the numbers he was against, it could be a wise choice. But he didn't get a chance to wait for Tazuma's answer. He could see a slight twitch in Joshua's body as the vizard began to speak and knew immediately that the vizard was about to slip away. It seemed he'd guessed right.
"Excuse me for a moment, Shinigami. I can't quite let this one scurry off - but if he's a friend of yours and you wait here, I promise I will not kill him." He said apologetically and loudly to Tazuma, interrupting the vizard's speech just as Joshua began to shunpo. Black sparks were left behind as Divus seemed to just vanish. But no, he had not vanished - black liquid gushed from where he had been, and in an instant, 12 crystal swords had appeared. Two stayed near the door as if to ward away intruders... but the other ten pursued the Vizard, and were moving faster than he was by far.
Divus caught up with Joshua effortlessly; the difference in sheer speed was already massive. Before Joshua could exit, Divus threw a perfectly aimed punch towards the base of Joshua's tailbone, with enough force to shatter his pelvis and possibly paralyze him if it hit the spine just right. Although Divus had swung hard that wasn't why the impact of the fist would be so devastating - it was that Divus was moving so fast. Speed was an important factor of momentum. He'd thrown the punch so hard that if it hit it would even hurt Divus's hand a bit. But he wanted to stop him from fleeing so he didn't care if he messed up his fist in the process.
However, as Divus did this, he could hear soft footsteps running across the ground behind him - but he saw no one with his bodily eyes. He scoffed, before his psychic eye opened wider. He lost his vision, but at that very same instant, he gained a superior vision; Psycho Wave Eye had just been activated. Her reiatsu was hidden, and her body could not be seen by light... but psychic power easily revealed the small girl's form to Divus. Three swords rushed in behind her, spinning around the girl and encircling her. The deadly whirr of each blade sliced at the air, and it would easily chop through the girl's flesh if she dared to move. This was mercy. If she failed to accept it, there would be no more mercy.
As for Joshua, Divus was also merciful, but much less so than he was for the little girl. Regardless of if the punch hit him, or if it failed, the remaining seven swords pointed their edges towards Joshua and rushed in coordinated strikes; two swooped in for his chest, rising from just below his armpit and attempting to slash deep across his chest. This was to sever his pectoral muscles and the nerves in them, thus crippling the arms if successful. Then two dived in from behind him, outside of his vision, staying close to the ground. They rushed in to piece his ankles, and if they hit, they would totally sever his achilles tendons, leaving his legs still attached to him mostly but leaving him unable to walk until someone healed him. The other two swords spun rapidly like saws so fast that they appeared like blurred black discs, and then rushed down, each saw-like sword sweeping towards the base of each of the Vizard's arms. They were faster than the other attacks, occurring a few seconds after the other swords had struck. They would certainly chop off his arms if they hit, neatly slicing them off at the shoulder.
However, Divus had presented Joshua with a choice. His advantage in speed made it easy to outrun Joshua in nearly everything; attacks, flash steps, or sheer movement in general. And Divus had timed his actions perfectly with the movements of Joshua's body. The saw-spinning swords came down after the other pair of blades rushed Joshua's angles, but the time frame was very thin, only thin enough to allow the Vizard to dodge one of the attacks most likely. It was nearly impossible for one so much slower than the demon to evade both of the attacks. So Joshua would have to choose between two things. His arms, or his legs? Which would he lose?
Divus could have pushed in several more attacks, as all of this had occurred in mere seconds. His reaction time had been auspicious indeed, but it was due in part to his augmented intelligence and incorporeal vision. But Divus did not, because he decided to show the boy some mercy. Wicked mercy, at that - there was generally no way for the helpless vizard to evade all of the attacks, as he was simply too slow, and too weak to do much against the powerful assault. However, none of the strikes would kill Joshua for certain, although at that moment Divus realized he'd made a mistake. If his punch had shattered Joshua's lower spine, then the vizard's legs would already be useless, and the crippling of his legs would be arbitrary and a waste of his effort. Divus couldn't believe he'd made such an error. He hoped Joshua would not use it to his advantage and choose not to save the doomed limbs to keep the more useful ones. It would not have been what Divus had planned.
With some effort, he kept his psychic eye on the others too; it weakened his powers slightly, which is why Divus hadn't summoned more swords. He could certainly have pulled off far more than twelve. But while he used Psycho Wave Eye, even at the cost of his mortal eyes, his other powers were slightly weaker, and thus, to use them at the same level he had before he had to put forth that much effort. Twelve swords would be plenty effortless. But it meant that Divus could do little to fight Tsubasa and the others at such a distance, as his limits were noticeably tighter now. He had one technique that could still be used effectively if they ignored his offer and pressed on, but it could only be used so often and Divus would have preferred to save it for a moment of dire need.
However....
The mask, he realized, would defend him from those who would drag his kind back to hell. Divus was accustomed to fighting outside of hell without it - he often escaped their clutches, or even overcame them, but if that happened here he would surely be unable to save Colbolt. It was a point of pride to him to walk around brazenly without a mask... he'd sacrificed that for Colbolt. He would take no risks. A glowing flash of light burst forward, loudly with a wave of force, and when the light finally faded Divus's hair had turned pure white. The mask remained, but his eyes had turned black, while glowing red pupils had made the mask appear even more monstrous and eerily real in it's regal, malefic visage.
Two glorious white wings rose from Divus's back then, their shimmering pure feathers radiating with intense light still. Divus had done this only to amplify his psychic powers. His true form allowed much greater frequency and more potent use of them. His skin turned whiter, and even with that horrible, monstrous mask, there was something beautiful and heroic about the armored warrior-king. There was a hope in him that did not die, even as the object of trust told him dreadful news. The psychic powers that he loved, trusted, and possessively adored were telling him something he refused to hear. Colbolt was going to die. He knew it in his heart. And yet, even as that growing despair became more and more real to him, he could not shy away. He would not give anything less than his best even if saving her was impossible. He'd never given anything his best before, but that one brief love in his heart would be worth every bit of courage he could muster....
There is nothing more dangerous than a man pushed to battle by the love of his heart.
Divus nodded at the captain, agreeing to his words. His eyes glanced curiously over his weapon finding the musical note his zanpakuto made to be quite curious indeed! He himself was interesting though his demands were not. Divus replied rather respectfully, but kept a keen eye on Joshua. He didn't expect him to be there long. Joshua, he sensed, was far weaker than him. It wasn't strategic to fight an enemy you would certainly perish against, and Divus already guessed the boy would flee based on that concept of strategy. The shinigami who confronted him seemed the strongest, and at least had respect for his enemy instead of attacking him outright, so Divus graced Tazuma with a reply. "Yes. You're quite right. I remember I nearly defeated that one captain, but I had to go. Did that one vizard who rushed me survive? I recall he was sorely injured. It wasn't my intention to kill or cripple him, simply to put him out of combat..." Divus spoke, curiously. "I am the secret Espada, Diablo Muerta. I am the true ruler of Hueco Mundo and the most powerful Arrancar in existence. The primera is just a figurehead to draw attention. Usually I would not dare to appear and spoil my cover. However, you've come for the one I love I am sure... I will not simply allow you to kill Colbolt. " He continued, still watching Joshua out of the corner of his eye. "I don't care for Amuhya, or whatever her name was. Would you be willing to leave Colbolt be if I allowed you to take that captain? My only concern is Colbolt's life." He said, attempting to deal with the Shinigami; the offer would mean no blood would need to be spilled, and considering Divus had the advantage here in spite of the numbers he was against, it could be a wise choice. But he didn't get a chance to wait for Tazuma's answer. He could see a slight twitch in Joshua's body as the vizard began to speak and knew immediately that the vizard was about to slip away. It seemed he'd guessed right.
"Excuse me for a moment, Shinigami. I can't quite let this one scurry off - but if he's a friend of yours and you wait here, I promise I will not kill him." He said apologetically and loudly to Tazuma, interrupting the vizard's speech just as Joshua began to shunpo. Black sparks were left behind as Divus seemed to just vanish. But no, he had not vanished - black liquid gushed from where he had been, and in an instant, 12 crystal swords had appeared. Two stayed near the door as if to ward away intruders... but the other ten pursued the Vizard, and were moving faster than he was by far.
Divus caught up with Joshua effortlessly; the difference in sheer speed was already massive. Before Joshua could exit, Divus threw a perfectly aimed punch towards the base of Joshua's tailbone, with enough force to shatter his pelvis and possibly paralyze him if it hit the spine just right. Although Divus had swung hard that wasn't why the impact of the fist would be so devastating - it was that Divus was moving so fast. Speed was an important factor of momentum. He'd thrown the punch so hard that if it hit it would even hurt Divus's hand a bit. But he wanted to stop him from fleeing so he didn't care if he messed up his fist in the process.
However, as Divus did this, he could hear soft footsteps running across the ground behind him - but he saw no one with his bodily eyes. He scoffed, before his psychic eye opened wider. He lost his vision, but at that very same instant, he gained a superior vision; Psycho Wave Eye had just been activated. Her reiatsu was hidden, and her body could not be seen by light... but psychic power easily revealed the small girl's form to Divus. Three swords rushed in behind her, spinning around the girl and encircling her. The deadly whirr of each blade sliced at the air, and it would easily chop through the girl's flesh if she dared to move. This was mercy. If she failed to accept it, there would be no more mercy.
As for Joshua, Divus was also merciful, but much less so than he was for the little girl. Regardless of if the punch hit him, or if it failed, the remaining seven swords pointed their edges towards Joshua and rushed in coordinated strikes; two swooped in for his chest, rising from just below his armpit and attempting to slash deep across his chest. This was to sever his pectoral muscles and the nerves in them, thus crippling the arms if successful. Then two dived in from behind him, outside of his vision, staying close to the ground. They rushed in to piece his ankles, and if they hit, they would totally sever his achilles tendons, leaving his legs still attached to him mostly but leaving him unable to walk until someone healed him. The other two swords spun rapidly like saws so fast that they appeared like blurred black discs, and then rushed down, each saw-like sword sweeping towards the base of each of the Vizard's arms. They were faster than the other attacks, occurring a few seconds after the other swords had struck. They would certainly chop off his arms if they hit, neatly slicing them off at the shoulder.
However, Divus had presented Joshua with a choice. His advantage in speed made it easy to outrun Joshua in nearly everything; attacks, flash steps, or sheer movement in general. And Divus had timed his actions perfectly with the movements of Joshua's body. The saw-spinning swords came down after the other pair of blades rushed Joshua's angles, but the time frame was very thin, only thin enough to allow the Vizard to dodge one of the attacks most likely. It was nearly impossible for one so much slower than the demon to evade both of the attacks. So Joshua would have to choose between two things. His arms, or his legs? Which would he lose?
Divus could have pushed in several more attacks, as all of this had occurred in mere seconds. His reaction time had been auspicious indeed, but it was due in part to his augmented intelligence and incorporeal vision. But Divus did not, because he decided to show the boy some mercy. Wicked mercy, at that - there was generally no way for the helpless vizard to evade all of the attacks, as he was simply too slow, and too weak to do much against the powerful assault. However, none of the strikes would kill Joshua for certain, although at that moment Divus realized he'd made a mistake. If his punch had shattered Joshua's lower spine, then the vizard's legs would already be useless, and the crippling of his legs would be arbitrary and a waste of his effort. Divus couldn't believe he'd made such an error. He hoped Joshua would not use it to his advantage and choose not to save the doomed limbs to keep the more useful ones. It would not have been what Divus had planned.
With some effort, he kept his psychic eye on the others too; it weakened his powers slightly, which is why Divus hadn't summoned more swords. He could certainly have pulled off far more than twelve. But while he used Psycho Wave Eye, even at the cost of his mortal eyes, his other powers were slightly weaker, and thus, to use them at the same level he had before he had to put forth that much effort. Twelve swords would be plenty effortless. But it meant that Divus could do little to fight Tsubasa and the others at such a distance, as his limits were noticeably tighter now. He had one technique that could still be used effectively if they ignored his offer and pressed on, but it could only be used so often and Divus would have preferred to save it for a moment of dire need.
However....
---
T R U EThe mask, he realized, would defend him from those who would drag his kind back to hell. Divus was accustomed to fighting outside of hell without it - he often escaped their clutches, or even overcame them, but if that happened here he would surely be unable to save Colbolt. It was a point of pride to him to walk around brazenly without a mask... he'd sacrificed that for Colbolt. He would take no risks. A glowing flash of light burst forward, loudly with a wave of force, and when the light finally faded Divus's hair had turned pure white. The mask remained, but his eyes had turned black, while glowing red pupils had made the mask appear even more monstrous and eerily real in it's regal, malefic visage.
Two glorious white wings rose from Divus's back then, their shimmering pure feathers radiating with intense light still. Divus had done this only to amplify his psychic powers. His true form allowed much greater frequency and more potent use of them. His skin turned whiter, and even with that horrible, monstrous mask, there was something beautiful and heroic about the armored warrior-king. There was a hope in him that did not die, even as the object of trust told him dreadful news. The psychic powers that he loved, trusted, and possessively adored were telling him something he refused to hear. Colbolt was going to die. He knew it in his heart. And yet, even as that growing despair became more and more real to him, he could not shy away. He would not give anything less than his best even if saving her was impossible. He'd never given anything his best before, but that one brief love in his heart would be worth every bit of courage he could muster....
There is nothing more dangerous than a man pushed to battle by the love of his heart.