[h3][color=7087A8][b]Kael Arashiro[/b][/color][/h3] [img]https://imgur.com/g1Ogi2t.jpg[/img] [b]Kael Arashiro[/b] The rooftops gave way to the city's skyline as Kael closed the last stretch toward Sakuhana Park. The further he ran, the louder the night became. The distant roar of Hollow. The sharp crack of lightning. A familiar surge of reiatsu. [i]Ouga...[/i] He was already fighting. Good. That meant he wasn't too late. As the park finally came into view, Kael slowed just enough to draw the Substitute Badge from his pocket. Moonlight caught the polished metal. Without hesitation, he pressed it against his chest. A pulse of spiritual pressure swept outward. His body separated cleanly from the physical world, replacing his clothes with the familiar black robes of a Substitute Shinigami. His wakizashi rested comfortably at his hip, exactly where his hand expected it to be. No hesitation. No ceremony. Just another responsibility waiting for him. The moment his sandals touched the park path, the scale of the battle became apparent. Lightning split the night overhead. Lesser Hollows poured through the park in numbers Kael had never seen before, yet they barely held his attention. His eyes found Regalhorn almost immediately. "..." The massive Hollow wasn't leading the horde. It was eating them. One Hollow disappeared into its jaws. Then another. Kael's brow furrowed. [i]Why...?[/i] Instinct told him something was wrong. Hollows hunted. They didn't gather like this. They certainly didn't feed on one another while ignoring easier prey. Another roar echoed through the park. A lesser Hollow lunged from the darkness. Kael stepped forward instead of back. His hand settled around the hilt of his Zanpakutō. One clean draw. Steel flashed beneath the moonlight. The Hollow's mask split cleanly before it had even reached him. Without pausing, Kael continued forward. Another intercepted him. A short pivot carried him around its claws. A second cut. Another mask shattered. His pace never changed. Each movement flowed naturally into the next, momentum carrying him across the battlefield as though he were following an invisible current instead of fighting through a crowd. There was no wasted motion. No unnecessary speed. Just rhythm. The closer he moved toward the center of the park, the more something else demanded his attention. The sakura tree. Its endless blossoms glowed beneath the moon, pouring pale light into the night. He could feel its reiatsu washing across the battlefield. It wasn't oppressive. It wasn't violent. It was... Different. Alive. His steps slowed for the first time since entering the park. Around him, Hollow charged toward the tree. Toward Regalhorn. Toward the light itself. None of it made sense. His gaze lingered on the brilliant trunk. [i]Everything here revolves around you... doesn't it?[/i] The thought lasted only an instant. Another Hollow burst from the side. Kael turned into the attack. His blade met bone. The creature dissolved into drifting spirit particles as he resumed moving toward the heart of the battle, his attention divided equally between the enemies before him... ...and the mystery waiting beneath the ancient sakura.