Xiuhcoatl
Age : 30 Posts : 8 Join Date : 2014-03-24 Exp : 190 Weapon Skill : Untrained HSM : Master Reiatsu : Master Hakudo : Master
| Subject: Xiuhcoatl Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:15 pm | |
| ~~~Arrancar~~~ Name: Xiuhcoatl Alias: N/A Age: 1,589 Visual Age: Late Teens - Early Twenties Gender: Male Reiatsu Color: Smoky Grey Hollow Hole Location: Sternum [ Centralized] Affiliation: Espada Rank: Tercera Aspect of Death: Diligence --------------------Persona-------------------- Appearance:- General Appearance and Posture:
- Regal Walk:
- Location of Espada Number:
- Appearance of Espada Number:
- Hollow Hole:
- Original Hollow Mask:
The skin tone of Xiuhcoatl is located somewhere along a scale between tanned and lightly dark, in human terms indicating a natural darkening of the skin from long periods of time being spent in the sun. In contrast to this, his hair is a bright grey that typically takes on the coloration of the environment around him if there is enough ambient lighting. The hairstyle that Xiuhcoatl adopts is one that is eternally neat, being nearly immaculate at virtually all times. This suits the personality of the man whom the hair belongs to, considering the fact that he exudes a regal air that can be perceived by those who come into his presence. His hair is kept at a rather moderate length, reaching just past ears on the sides and just to the nape of the neck at the back. This is done in maintenance of the regal appearance that he ensures is present at all times. In the front, this hair is kept at a certain length that ensures that it does not reach into Xiuhcoatl's eyes. Whereas most individuals possess white sclera with pupils of varying colors, Xiuhcoatl possesses an eye color scheme that is essentially the inverse. The color of Xiuhcoatl's sclera is pitch black, being the precise color of his pupils, a phenomenon that draws attention to the color of his irises. His eyes are almost the color of molten gold, being just a few shades darker but still forming much contrast with the color of his sclera. This produces a piercing stare of much intensity, as the coloration of Xiuhcoatl's eyes typically cause others much pause. The body of Xiuhcoatl can at virtually all times be seen to be standing with excellent posture, with spinal cord straightened, chest out slightly, and shoulders squared to militaristic standards. This suits the body frame that he possesses, and the frame that he possesses suits the way that he presents himself. The Tercera is approximately five feet tall, with an additional ten inches into his frame. Though slightly on the tall side, this height allows him to be regal without appearing to be imposing, and allows others to occasionally underestimate him to their regret later. Along with his height, Xiuhcoatl has a slender frame, though it is corded through with an impressive musculature befitting an Olympic human athlete conditioned for endurance sports. This overall appearance contributes to his noblesque posture, which he constantly displays, even during movement. Xiuhcoatl typically wears clothing that best displays the frame that he possesses, with his choice of attire typically being as near to form-fitting as is appropriate for clothing of their specific type. He also holds a particular favor for things that flow while he wears them, and for cloaks that billow when wind is present. These forms of typically extraneous decorative clothing he wears over the more form-fitting outfits that are his true attire. Articles of clothing that flow are generally considered to be items such as scarves, and other such items made of lighter cloths. Along the subject of clothing, in terms of appearance, Xiuhcoatl tends to favor clothing that can be ornate and yet functional at the same time. He highly favors patterns to be in evidence on his clothing, finding himself with a particular liking for swirls and other such circular designs. The coloration of clothing that he prefers happens to be monotone in nature, as he can typically be seen wearing such colors as black, white, and the varying shades of grey. In terms of embellishments, Xiuhcoatl is typically not seen with an overly large amount of jewelry on his person. He believes in the phrase 'less is more' in this regard, and so typically chooses to wear simple things, such as a single necklace. Fitting when one considers his monotone dress coloration, Xiuhcoatl prefers wear silver items, though on occasion will wear gold to match his eye color. The shattered mask that is Xiuhcoatl's version of what all Arrancar possess takes the form of the uppermost portion of his original Hollow Mask. The 'uppermost' portion is assumed to be everything that was above the eyes of the original Hollow mask, though in relation to the picture, the 'ears' are much smaller. The estigma (the pattern along the faces of the Arrancar that were originally part of their mask) that Xiuhcoatl bears are the red marks along the eyes of his original Hollow Mask. His Hollow hole is located in the center of his sternum, and is of relatively average circumference for a Hollow Hole. Xiuhcoatl's Zanpakuto takes the form of a singular katana that he keeps on the left side of his body, held at the hip by a grey sash. Finally, his Espada tattoo is located along the upper half of his back and shoulders, a large centralized number 3. Personality: An Arrancar born from the highest level of Hollow evolution, Xiuhcoatl has inherited great power and can expect to only grow in power for the remainder of his presumably long life. This has fueled two aspects of his personality which are important to understand as far as understanding him as an individual is concerned. His pride is the first of these aspects, and his calm is the second. Being that he is the Tercera Espada simply by virtue of power and the fact that he slew the previous holder of the title, Xiuhcoatl understandable shows great amounts of self-confidence, but he paradoxically displays little vainglory. Instead of manifesting itself as visible arrogance, which the Tercera considers to be an exploitable weakness, his pride manifests itself in the fact that he is seemingly always calm and stoic. Even in combat, Xiuhcoatl seems to only rarely display passionate emotions, with fury or extreme excitement being so rare to occur to his facial features that some do not believe that he is capable of expressing such emotions. When speaking, regardless of whom he is speaking to, Xiuhcoatl chooses to utilize a tone of voice that could be best described as 'formal.' He is considered to be polite, even by his enemies, and generally shows at least some measure of common courtesy, regardless of the relationship between himself and the person to whom he is speaking. Even in combat, Xiuhcoatl typically addresses his opponent by rank in precedence to name, and speaks in such a manner that voices at least a modicum of respect. This is not to be taken for submissive weakness however, for when given directive to slay, the respectful tones are still present, but the orders will be obeyed without hesitation or mercy. Similarly to his voice, Xiuhcoatl typically approaches combat situations with a detached seeming persona, viewing combat as something that is required of him rather than something that he personally desires to indulge himself in. Along with this detachment concerning combat exists a similar emotion concerning rank and position. Xiuhcoatl does not particularly care about status, seeing it as simply a subjective indication of something that is not subjective; the power that he wields as an Arrancar who was once a Vasto Lorde. This makes him rather 'unattached' to the position, and also results in him not flaunting his power as much as other being might in his position. Xiuhcoatl would explain himself to be possessed of a certain 'professionalism.' He does not typically react to petty taunts, and will not often rise to verbal barbs against his person. This 'professionalism' also extends into his relations with other Espada and the remainder of the Hollow forces. He will obey the word of whomever he sees as worthy to direct him to the letter. This stems more from a deep personal respect than true 'loyalty.' It is the result of the fact that Xiuhcoatl considers his word to be his bond. When he gives a promise that something will be accomplished, that thing will be accomplished if possible if the Espada must make multiple attempts to see it done. This trait is what earned Xiuhcoatl the 'Diligence' aspect of death, as he would press himself to near-death in order to see a goal completed. The reason for this diligence stems from a lack of purpose that Xiuhcoatl perceives for himself without someone whom he can recognize as a worthy leader to grant him direction. When he finds someone who he can consider to be a worthy leader, he typically pledges himself to follow their directions so long as they are not obviously malicious towards his own person. Xiuhcoatl has a rather strange view of the other races, both mortal and immortal. When he was a Hollow, he did not encounter any Shinigami and thus never learned to despise the sting of their Zanpakuto. Rather than hate or fear Shinigami, the Tercera admires their ferocity in battle and generally respects them as a race. He would be more likely to engage one in conversation than to engage one in combat, if the other would indulge him and he had no orders to eliminate them. Concerning the Living races of Quincy, Fullbringers, and Bounts, Xiuhcoatl finds them to be a curiosity, an anomaly in the grand scheme that the Shinigami and Arrancar seemed to have forged for themselves. They do not hold a loyalty to the Soul Society, and stay removed from the wars of the Shinigami and Arrancar, simply residing in their plane of existence and advancing themselves. Vizards are considered to be even more of an anomaly, beings who stand in the exact center of the Shinigami/Arrancar scale. Similarly to Shinigami, Xiuhcoatl desires to have a converse with a Vizard if he should get the chance, to question what existence must be like for someone so similar and yet so different in comparison to both Shinigami and Arrancar. --------------------History-------------------- History: - The Voice of the Gods:
The story of Xiuhcoatl begins over a thousand years ago in the region of the world that would come to be known as the Americas. He was born amongst the Nahua peoples, the ancestors of those who would eventually go on to found the city-states that composed the Aztec Empire and other native american regimes. In those days however, the ruling entity was Teotihuacan and it was in this glorious city that Xiuhcoatl himself was born. Xiuhcoatl's father was the high priest of a prominent god, Xolotl, making his family prominent members of the 'upper class' in that particular society. This gave the young man access to nearly unlimited amounts of resources and respect, as religious leaders were also political leaders in ancient Teotihuacan. In particular, there were no major 'down-sides' to Xiuhcoatl's human existence. He was the son of a powerful man, Teotihuacan was at the height of its glory in those days, and military conquests were meeting with success. Naturally, that made his untimely demise all the more frustrating when he discovered how he had died. Being of a powerful line did not guarantee longevity by any means, and being the next in line for a powerful position spawned potential rivals.
In Teotihuacan, religious officials had the choice of training their offspring to take on their responsibilities after they passed on, meaning that certain families could retain power through the generations. Rivals there for had only the option of somehow severing the lines, and typically those lines were only severed through death. It would be poison that would take the life of Xiuhcoatl, a concoction that had no taste or scent and that could not be traced by the methods available in those days. The poison would be administered during a feast in honor of Xiuhcoatl's ascending to his father's coveted position. It would be slipped into his drink before the vessel could be brought to him and he would drink without the slightest knowledge that death was at hand. The timing was brilliant, as afterwards he would walk into the temple to commune with his god and there he would fall into death within a matter of moments. It would look like an act of judgment from Xolotl, marking him as unworthy.
At first, Xiuhcoatl would be unable to accept the fact that he was no longer alive. In the beginning, he assumed that he had simply taken momentary leave of his senses or had fallen ill. He then wondered why no one responded when he attempted to speak to them, and why there seemed to be someone else performing his coveted duties. He would come to accept his death however, and would learn of those who had poisoned him. His rivals would meet in the temple where he had met his untimely demise and congratulate his replacement, as well as each other for their parts in the treachery. Unknowing of the fact that their victim stood only feet away listening, they recounted the tale over drinks of how the poison had made Xiuhcoatl appear to be corrupted and unworthy. His family had been stripped of its duty and the title had gone elsewhere, to these rivals that Xiuhcoatl had never even known of. He did not even know their names, but they had seen fit to kill him simply because he possessed something that they coveted! The revelation filled him with what could only have been described as murderous anger, as he accepted his demise and cursed his inability to attain vengeance. Though he did not understand this fact, his frustration and hatred would hasten the process of his attaining a form appropriate to his goal of attaining vengeance. Within a relatively short time, he would become a Hollow, a creature capable of destroying those who had wronged him so.
- Lost and Masked:
No one could deny that fate could sometimes have a sense of irony. When he descended into the path of the Hollow, Xiuhcoatl lost his heart, soul, and mind simultaneously, but he gained the appearance of the being that his people said had 'struck him down.' Growing wing-like projections and a canine appearance overall, he became the 'living' incarnation of Xolotl. For the majority of his tenure as a spirit and for the entirety of his time as a demi-Hollow, he had been bound to the Temple in which he had died. Now he was free to roam outside of the Temple and seek his vengeance. The transformation to Hollow-kind had warped his mind, and for the first few days after his transformation he was consumed by this need to destroy those who had destroyed him. There was enough of himself left however, to have the capacity to form a plot suitable for this vengeance. One by one, those who had arranged his death found themselves devoured when they came into the Temple for the purposes of communing with the gods or performing sacrifices. They might have avoided their fate, however to do so would have been to provoke doubt in their abilities. In this way, they were forced to walk into the temple of what had become known as a hungry god. There were those who could see him, a very few in number who could tell others of his form. They described him as Xolotl come to life, devouring those the priests that came into the Temple one after another.
Eventually, Xiuhcoatl had devoured all those that he knew of that had wronged him in life, but he still hungered for the souls of others. It is known in history that Teotihuacan had its decline around these years, though for the longest time scholars have been convinced that it was war that felled the great city. Others have professed that famine or disease caused the collapse of the city, but none of these answers are correct. The source of the collapse of Teotihuacan was a Hollow, one who bore the appearance of a god, one that hungered for the only thing that could make him feel satiated for any true length of time. The declination of Teotihuacan was not a thing accomplished overnight, meaning that Xiuhcoatl had years with which to prey on the citizens of the great city. There were sacrifices done to attempt to appease him, but these attempts failed miserably and typically ended with the devouring of those who attempted the ceremony. Eventually, Xiuhcoatl's hunger became too vast, his cravings unable to be satisfied by human souls any longer. At this point, he left the World of the Living and entered Hueco Mundo, but by this point the damage was already done. Teotihuacan was a shadow of its former self, hollowed out and empty, just like Xiuhcoatl himself.
- The Many or the One?:
Hueco Mundo was an excellent location for the warped Xiuhcoatl to find himself, considering what he had become. He was eternally hungry, and human souls simply could not satisfy this hunger any longer. With this revelation, he had ripped open a way to another world, simply on the notion that he might perhaps find sustenance in this new place of existence. He was fortunate that this assumption proved to be correct. He discovered this fact when he first devoured another who appeared similarly to himself, another creature that had crossed his path. He devoured this rival Hollow, and felt the same feeling of near-completeness that he had when he had first began devouring human souls. He required more of this feeling, and he would literally devour whatever was required to give himself the fleeting feeling of satisfaction. This would begin a long process that consisted of three steps: encounter Hollow, consume Hollow, repeat. This would occur until one day he noticed that even consuming other Hollows was beginning to lose its pleasurable feeling. Desperate to maintain the satisfaction that was essentially drug-like to him now, Xiuhcoatl would find himself a participant in a massive gathering of Hollows consuming other Hollows. Never had he encountered such a phenomenon, and he simply could not resist the call of his unending hunger. Soon after he joined in the unholy feast, he began to feel something...a tugging on his essence that he could not resist. He felt his essence merge with that of the other Hollows, as they all joined together to become what was known as a Menos Grande...otherwise known as a Gilian-class Hollow.
There are limited words that can be used to describe being one voice among a gathering of numerous others. One feels their individuality slipping away bit by bit, piece by piece, and yet the need to maintain one's self is overpowering as well. It presents one with the feeling of being torn asunder and yet remade simultaneously, and this feeling is endless. That is the closest that Xiuhcoatl could possibly come to describing what being apart of a Gilian-class Menos is similar to. Though perhaps the experience felt different for others, because out of all of the personas that composed the massive creature, it would be his that rose to become the ruler of the frame. The Gilian's mask would change to resemble the one that he had originally worn as a Hollow, and Xiuhcoatl would find himself once more within his own mind rather than being simply one of the many. The hold on his mind was weak however, though he knew how to make it strong. He would simply do that which had sustained him since his rebirth as a Hollow: he would consume and grow stronger. Without knowing exactly how he knew this, Xiuhcoatl knew that nothing short of other Menos around him would make for satisfying meals now, though he also recognized that he felt the hunger less as a need now than a desire.
- The Evolution of Clarity:
In a relative sense, Xiuhcoatl would not spend very long as a Gilian-class Menos. He would purposefully devour as many of his own kind as he possibly could, avoiding being consumed himself on sheer instinct rather than the knowledge of what would happen should he fail. Having control of the ability known as Cero and having a singular mind that was willing to use it, he would utterly annihilate any Menos that he was not actively attempting to devour that came overly close to his position. Otherwise he would sink his fangs into their bodies and consume them with pleasure and impunity. As he did so, he felt himself grow more and more in control. He also felt himself becoming more powerful, as though the same power that fed his foundations was also building the tower-like bones on which he stood. It would not be long however, before his monumental height would become something of the past. He would evolve, shrinking down and yet growing more powerful, becoming what was known as an Adjuchas-class Menos. At this point, he was fully in control over his body, and had regained the sanity that had been lost and denied to him since his rebirth into this new spiritual existence. The desire to consume Hollows around him was still intense however, and so even with this evolution he would continue to seek out beings to consume. He would discover swiftly that Gilian-class Menos had lost much of their taste and benefits when he had evolved, which was somehow not surprising.
Having regained his mind, he could look back and see the pattern with some ease. As a Hollow, human souls had been sufficient for his needs, but he had eventually hungered for other Hollows. As Menos Grande, he had hungered for others of his kind, being others of the immense creatures that surrounded him. Now he would have to seek out others who shared his appearance once more. To this end, he would remain in the Menos Forest and ambush Adjuchas that happened to enter into it. He did not attempt to fight them head-on just yet, instead relying on the massive amount of Gilians to hide his reiatsu so that he could ambush the Adjuchas. Eventually, he would leave the Forest, seeking these beings out when he felt confident in his abilities. The only exceptions to the rule that those who crossed his path must be devoured were a small group of Hollow that were too weak for him to bother consuming. These he allowed to travel with him as something akin to a personal escort. After all, an intelligent mind desired some form of companionship, and these Hollows were good for company even if they were not useful as food. The Hollows that journeyed with him told Xiuhcoatl much lore about the Hollow kind, including much information about the evolutions that he himself underwent. He also learned that there was one more possible step in his evolutionary process, reserved only for the most powerful of all Hollow-kind. The coveted form of Vasto Lorde. Without even knowing what it was that he had sought, Xiuhcoatl had been working towards this goal simply by attempting to quiet the hunger of the hole in his soul. Now that he knew that there was something to actually work towards however, he found himself with something akin to a purpose again. He would become Vasto Lorde, but in order to do so, he would require a different form of strategy than his fellow Adjuchas. He had consumed many of his own kind, and his own powers had been growing with each one that he consumed. There had to be other beings worthy of being consumed however, and when he asked about it, his underlings would tell him about the Shinigami and what they did within the worlds. These 'shinigami' would intrigue the Adjuchas, but it would not be until later that he would put this information to use. Judging by what his small cadre of servants reported, the Shinigami might have been worthy for consumption if they were easier to access. That being a difficulty however, he would simply make do with the other Adjuchas.
- Lord of the Hollows:
'Simply making do with other Adjuchas' would eventually provide reward. Xiuhcoatl could feel his powers increasing with every member of his race that he killed and devoured. He could also directly see the results. Every battle was easier than the last, and he took fewer battle-wounds from his opponents the more victories that he won. He could actually tell that he was progressing towards a higher state of being, mostly because towards the end of his days as an Adjuchas he was killing others of his kind not through true battle, but through toying with them akin to a cat with a mouse. In the end, it was not even surprising when he felt the energies within himself rise to the surface and explode outwards in a blast of power that brought his servants to their collective knees. As a Hollow, Xiuhcoatl had appeared to be a corrupt mockery of Xolotl, a skeletal creature with the head of a canine. When he had become Gilian-variant, the canine-esque mask had returned. Upon becoming an Adjuchas, he had come to appear similarly to his form as a Hollow, but with more humanoid features and with much more musculature. As a Vasto Lorde, he now bore an appearance similar to that which he had worn in life; as in he appeared to be largely human, though with a mask. He appeared to be the masked high-priest to the god of death that was Xolotl, as the cycle apparently repeated itself with this highest evolution.
The first thing that Xiuhcoatl would do would be to test his new abilities, challenging Adjuchas wherever he could find them simply to survive an encounter with him. Without much surprise, he found that none could pass his challenge, and were summarily devoured by the vastly more powerful Hollow. Those whom he did not personally devour, Xiuhcoatl would feed to his underlings, speeding along their evolutions exponentially. So long as they were going to be following him about, Xiuhcoatl wanted to ensure that his minions would be able to survive being within his presence. The novelty of his new abilities distracted the Vasto Lorde for a while, but eventually he would become aware of the fact that once more he had nothing truly akin to a purpose. As a Vasto Lorde, he had reached the pinnacle of Hollow evolution, and that meant that there was nothing left for him to accomplish apparently. He could wander the sands for eternity and see precisely how much more powerful he could become, but what would that accomplish? Power was not a goal that was typically an end, but a means. What was he going to do with all of this power? The transformation to Vasto Lorde had cleared his mind even further, and with the mental clarity, Xiuhcoatl found himself wondering at what precisely he could or should be doing. What was the point of being a Lord amongst the Hollows if there was no point to commanding them? He did not have personal enemies, for enemies never lasted long enough to become rivals. Without another purpose in mind, the Vasto Lorde would turn to his servants and request information about a topic that he had left untouched for some time. Las Noches.
- King's Shadow:
The Fortress of the Hollows had come up in discussion more than once in the time that Xiuhcoatl had been an Adjuchas. The servants had more than once suggested that he join the ranks of the powerful Hollow army, perhaps finding a purpose in service to the Hollow King. Xiuhcoatl had denied such a thought as even being worthy of consideration. From his point of view, the chances were high that his position within any organization of Hollows would hardly be worth his time or effort. Aside from that fact, the chances were also high that he would not be allowed to devour as many other Adjuchas as he would require to ascend beyond his current evolution. Finally, there were simply no 'perks' that he could perceive that were worth submitting to the rule of another at this stage. He was a Vasto Lorde now, however, and many of his former reasons for avoiding Las Noches had evaporated along with his Adjuchas form. Furthermore, he had gained a purpose for venturing forth to the enormous fortress: whereas his Adjuchas form had required the purpose of maintaining his independence so that he could consume to evolve. Now that he had no more purpose to speak of, the Vasto Lorde required a new purpose, and only in Las Noches would he likely find that purpose. His mind decided on this purpose, Xiuhcoatl would lead his small cadre of servant Adjuchas to the great Fortress and present himself to the then King of the Hollows, Aion. One of the extreme few Vasto Lorde within Hueco Mundo, Xiuhcoatl would be welcome with the Hollow equivalent of 'open arms.' There was one condition that Aion asked of the Vasto Lorde however, and that was that he evolved once more. This would confuse Xiuhcoatl slightly, as he had always operated under the assumption that Vasto Lorde was the final evolution. It would then be explained that he was correct and incorrect simultaneously. Though Vasto Lorde was the final 'natural' evolution, a Hollow could force itself to 'evolve' in a way by removing its mask and becoming what was known as an Arrancar. Intrigued by this 'new evolution,' Xiuhcoatl would agree to this condition and join the army of Aion, the Five-thousand Year King along with his servants, who would become the first of his Fraccion.
The scene of his becoming an Arrancar was as much of a ritual as he might have performed during his time of living. He surrounded himself with his Fraccion, and they simultaneously ripped their masks off and joined the Hollow ranks. As an Arrancar, Xiuhcoatl was not particularly concerned with rank or station. Simply based around his status as a rare Vasto Lorde Arrancar, he was granted an Espada position, that of number four. He rarely 'used' the power that he possessed due to his position however, merely concerning himself with following Aion's will. The Espada were considered the enforcers of Aion, but Xiuhcoatl was an enforcer among enforcers. Called 'Aion's Shadow,' the Espada had no qualms with dispatching other Arrancar, regardless of their rank. At the word of the Hollow King, he would destroy Numeros, the Fraccion of other Espada, and on two separate occasions nearly executed a member of the Espada themselves; the events would come about when the Sexta and Septima would make a comment that the Hollow King found insulting. Only swift apologies at death's door would save them from untimely demises. This would be the way of things from the moment of Xiuhcoatl's joining the Espada until the day that would come to be known as the Day the Black Sun Set.
- The Day the Black Sun Set:
During his Arrancar stage, Xiuhcoatl had been 'educated' on the topic of Shinigami, but the lesson had been brief. He had lost interest when he realized that they would not do for a substitute source of power, and the Shinigami had become a subject rarely spoken of. As an Espada, the subject would be resurrected in preparation for the siege against the Soul Society. Xiuhcoatl would learn about the similarities between a Shinigami and an Arrancar, as well as the differences between them. He would also learn as much knowledge as the Hollow race knew as a whole about the various ways in which Shinigami could destroy Hollow and vice versa. Though the subject of the other immortal beings was intriguing, Xiuhcoatl could not pretend that he had much interest in launching a full-scale invasion of their citadel. Regardless, it was taken as inevitable that each Espada would have duties to perform there, and so he would simply follow along with whatever orders he was given at the moment. During the actual siege of the Soul Society, Xiuhcoatl was not seen often on the battlefield. He found himself performing something close to 'bodyguarding' duties for Aion, which translated to ensuring that the Hollow King did not dirty his hands on enemies that were not particularly worthy. Beyond this, he occasionally brought order to the ranks of the Hollows, ensuring that the army of ravenous beasts recalled their objectives and did not simply rampage across the lands of their hated enemies.
When Miyamoto Xion appeared, he was actually told to allow the Hollow King to duel the Captain Commander personally, and thus simply stepped aside and stayed within easy viewing range. As long as the Hollow King had requested a personal duel, Xiuhcoatl would ensure that the duel was one on one, and if any attempted to interrupt the proceedings he would simply eliminate them with as little interruption to the combatants as possible. The death of Aion had been quite unexpected, but Xiuhcoatl thought less of the being himself and the fact that the bond between himself and Las Noches had evaporated with Aion's turning into dust. The then Tercera was the one who actually called the retreat, though by that point the routing made the command unnecessary. The Arrancar were routed, driven back to Las Noches, and summarily crushed, with their fortress being reduced to rubble. Xiuhcoatl would continue battle, but with Las Noches falling apart around him and Aion dead, he would accept the fact that there was no reason to remain and disappear amidst the chaos. The Shinigami would enact their vengeance and afterwards leave Hueco Mundo, leaving the Arrancar without a place to call their headquarters and thus no place that bound them all together. The shattered forces of Hueco Mundo would summarily scatter to the sand-ridden winds, and this included Xiuhcoatl. Unlike most however, he would occasionally return to Las Noches's ruins. The reason for his returns to the place would become evident during a time wherein he returned to find the Tercera attempting to declare himself King of Hollows in place of Aion. As calmly as possible, Xiuhcoatl would inform the Tercera that he was unworthy of being the new Hollow King, and would challenge him to a duel in front of the small group of Hollows that the latter had gathered to his banner.
- A New Voice:
The Tercera would be quite surprised by the Cuarta's nerve,' wondering at the fact that someone a rank beneath his own would challenge him in such a manner within what he considered to now be his fortress. Still in the same calm voice, Xiuhcoatl would simply reply that he had always been more powerful than the Tercera. Being unconcerned with rank or position, Xiuhcoatl had never released his power to its maximum limits in front of Aion. Thus the Hollow King had never seen fit to replace the Tercera, or to order Xiuhcoatl to 'prove himself,' or anything of that nature. After this short explanation, Xiuhcoatl again told the Tercera that he was unworthy, stating: "I would offer you the chance to accept your weakness and remove yourself from this place, but I doubt that you would accept my offer. Thus I simply challenge you to a duel to prove your weakness and unworthiness to become the new Hollow King." The duel would be quite long, though this would not be due to a massive amount of effort required from both parties. Rather, it would stem from the fact that Xiuhcoatl constantly reminded his opponent that there was opportunity to surrender and withdraw, and continuously withheld the final blow until it became obvious that there would be no other alternative but to destroy the pretender King. The execution would take place in front of two-hundred Hollows, including more than a few Arrancar, all of whom were remnants from Aion's army. After destroying the Tercera, Xiuhcoatl would be asked why he did not himself take the shattered throne. "I merely stated that he was not worthy of the title. I did not say that I personally desired it. There will be a worthy ruler, but it will not be an Espada that I myself can kill so easily." With that, Xiuhcoatl would disappear back into the sands with what remnants of his Fraccion had survived the Day the Black Sun Set and continued to follow him. That event occurred only a month ago, and now there has been a new call from Las Noches. Rather, there has been a pulsing of reiatsu originating from the direction of Las Noches that could only be interpreted as an invitation. Curious about this new voice he was hearing on the winds of Hueco Mundo, Xiuhcoatl would journey back to Heuco Mundo with his servants in tow. If this one were to be a new Hollow King calling out from Las Noches, perhaps it was one that was truly worthy this time. Xiuhcoatl could only hope so, as wandering the deserts of Hueco Mundo without anything in particular to strive towards was simply not within him to return to.
Thus continues his story.
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