Byakko awoke with a jump, banging his head on the low cave ceiling of his mountainous Den. Shaking His head clear of sleep, Byakko stepped out into the cold night air. The Den offered a nice view, a small cave, high in one of the large mountains of the Outskirts. The nights where chilly, but the difficulty of getting to it deterred most would be attackers. It seemed that those that wished to make a name for themselves by defeating "The Boundary Lord" had increased recently. Already he had had to switch Dens 3 times in the past Month, and this one would not last long either. Taking a deep breath, Byakko held in the fresh mountain air before releasing it in a thick cloud of mist and ice, as his mind wandered back to the Dream.

He had dreamt of Paradise, the base of operations for The Guardians, and one of the few permanent settlements in the Outskirts. In fact, the only Human settlement in the entirety of the Soul Society. He had dreamt of the experiments, of his goal to finally bring a true, lasting peace. He had dreamt of a sea of blood, of screams and of fire, he had seen once more ruin and destruction which words could never fully portray. And then He had seen it all suck once more into Nothingness, that absolute void, that perpetual Oblivion, that....

With a furious roar, Byakko shook himself violently in an attempt to clear his mind of the memories. The past was the past, he could do nothing more to correct what had been done. He did not need regret, he needed more power. He needed to eat. With a sigh, Byakko walked a short distance to a overhanging cliff near his Den. Byakko could still feel the sadness and anger of the dream bearing down on him like a weight, but hopefully a good nights Hunt would help to clear his mind. Standing on the edge of the cliff, Byakko gave a mighty heave and lept off, passing through a opening Garganta moment before hitting the ground below.


The Cool night air gently blew through the semi empty town square, carrying with it the sounds of a sleeping city. High in the sky above the town, unseen by those below, a gasping dark hole opened, though nothing came through. Instead, a gentle rolling mist seeped out and cascaded into the night sky. As the people in the square scrambled to avoid the sudden bank of fog, a large shadow exited the hole and quickly merged with the small bank of rain clouds silently moving out over the town.
As Byakko moved through the air, concealed by the smalls cloud of Mists, he watched the town quietly sleep below. He had always liked the Rain. Humans now these days saw the Rain as oppressive and depressing, keeping them from their tasks. But they forgot that the Rain is what renewed the Dry Earth, the Rain was what wasted away the filth and decay, the Rain was what quenched the burning Flame. Truly the Rain was a gift from God. Yet even still, Byakko could not help but feel uneasy. The night had been quite for the most part, the Shinigami had stepped up patrols in this area, but Byakko's mind still raced with the events of the past few months; The world was changing and it seemed that he had no choice but to be swept up in the current.
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Byakko moved silently through the night air, the blanket Mists slowly spreading out around him. Though his Mist Cloak lay heavy on his shoulders, Byakko could feel the stir of wind and the rainclouds passed overhead. Tonight would be a good night for Hunting. Hollows tended to prefer the Night, and a Rainy night like this meant that few humans would be out in the Street. The perfect conditions for lowly Hollows to pick off the wandering Soul or Living Human. And that made it the perfect time for Byakko to do his OWN Hunting. Lower Hollows where simple minded things, and of not much value, but even they could find use as sustenance. And the Hunt might be the very thing Byakko needed to get his mind of the Dreams.
As Byakko watched the town below, eyes out for any sign of Hollows, when he heard from the ground, A voice call out to him. Turning, Byakko looked down to see a young man, dress in most peculiar clothing, staring back up at Him. While most would have been surprised, Byakko, though most of his movements hidden by his Mist Cloak, shifted into a defensive stance. That this man could see him at all was surprising enough, but few among the living knew the name "Hollow". His first thought was that the young man was a Fullbringer, though Byakko quickly dismissed that; most of the Fullbringers knew of Byakko, and would address him appropriately, and he in turn, new many, if not by name, then by Face. Next he thought Quincy, but the Reiatsu Signature was different. When the young man drew the large sword however, It only drew more questions.
None the Less, looked down at the Young Shinigami in silence, his eyes hidden by the blank, near featureless Mask, and his Tiger-like body covered by the Misty cloak. The Shinigami's question was obviously sarcastic, and Byakko did not have time to play game. But if the strange little shinigami wanted to play, then he would learn that you do not play cat and mouse with a Tiger.
Lifting his head high, Byakko called back down, infusing his voice with a sarcastic arrogance, as if to question why the Answer was not already obvious, "Why, my good Sir, what other reason does a Hollow have to be out on such a fine Night? but to Hunt!" Byakko knew the comment was likly be taken the wrong way, but then again, that was Point. A fluttered mind was an easily distracted mind. And that would be Byakko's chance to slip away. He did not need a fight with a Shinigami tonight. Not when there where Hollows in town, ripe for the picking.
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Active Effect:
Cloaked Form:
In His Cloaked form, Byakko's Mists become much thinner, still able to distort vision, but no longer able to completely hide him or others. Byakko also looses much of his speed and agility, however, with addition of the protective cloak and heavy, hard mask, and more solid body, Byakko is able to both Hit much harder, and take more Hits, relying more on sheer, raw power, vrs the more Stealthy, agile approach of his Mist form.

Strength:

• Allows Byakko to move concealed within the Mist, his presence hidden in the Reiryoku laced Mists. (Opponent takes a -2 RA Hit towards their ability to sense Reiatsu, increasing his Stealth when both Byakko and them are in the Mists. When either is outside the Mists, reduced to -1 RA).
  
• By shaping the Mist into different forms, Byakko can greatly increasing his attack range and potential. He is able to use this trait to actively "chase" targets with his Mists, though the farther the Mists spreads, the thinner it becomes.
  
• The Think Mist dampens Sounds and Light, reducing the power of Kido or abilities that rely on them. (-1 RA to Light and Sound based Techs that pass through the Mists).
  
• Weaker Winds (-1RA) or things like Aerosolized Poisons or Oils are overwhelmed by the Mists.
  
• While in his Cloaked Form (Dormant Mask), Byakko's more Solid body allows him to strike harder, and take more Hits (+1RA Physical Defense and Attack).
  
• The Mists surrounding Byakko impair Normal Sight, limiting viability for those without advanced sight to 10 feet in Mist Form, and 25 feet in Cloaked form.
  

Weakness:

• Like true mist, the Mist of Kirino Nakano Kemono is easily dispersed by Wind and Heat. While Strong Winds or Flames (+2RA, Mists reform in 1 Post) can dispel the Mists, and Mild Winds and Flames (+1RA, active post only) can temporarily part sections.
  
• Lighting and electric based attacks power are multiplied greatly within the mist, harming all within, both Byakko and the User, though any such energy can not escape the conductive environment. (+1RA to Electric based attacks within the Mists, and gain a 20% range boost. Damage is spread out to all within the Mists)
  
• Condensed spirit particles may violently explode under certain conditions such as intense heat (+3RA Fire based Techs, Fire Based Kido #85+. Mist Destroyed in this manner take 2 posts to reform, and count as Mask Damage if in Mist Form) or immense pressure.
  
• While in his Cloaked form, Byakko's Mists become thinner, preventing him form hiding effectively, and reducing its dampening effects. The Heavy Mask and Cloak also slows him down, making him Less agile. (-1 RA towards all Dampening effects)
  

As the Young Shinigami spoke, Byakko looked down In contemplation. Byakko knew that he could not stay out of the eyes of the Seireitei forever, not since the rumors of "The Boundary Lord" had started spreading through the Rukongai. But none the less, the Shinigami's words where disconcerting. He remembered the young Shinigami girl named Yuki Akies, and though their meeting was brief, it seemed Byakko has underestimated the girls information gathering ability. There was still much for him to do, much to prepare for before what was to come, and he preferred the Gotei's eyes somewhere else while he did so. Though it appeared there was not much he could do about it at this point. Dropping the air of arrogance, Byakko called down in a neutral, but cold tone "So, Ms. Akies spoke of me then? Did she? Good, then this should be a simple enough matter. I will leave you to your Patrol, Shinigami, if you leave me to my Hunting. After the Incident at the Train Station, Your patrols may have scared away the weaker Hollows, but that has done nothing more than leave a power vacuum for stronger Hollow to fill. And typical of you Shinigami, I am left to clean up your 'Mess'.
Looking down, Byakko infused his words with the frustration and annoyance he felt towards the Gotei as a whole, and directed them towards the young Shinigami, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. He knew the young man himself was not to blame, nor truly any one Shinigami, but the system as a whole, the higher ups that made the puppets dance on the strings of their Bureaucracy. He knew how it all worked; He himself had once been part of a similar machine, many eons ago, In a life long past. None the less, Byakko let out a sigh, and spoke once more, His voice softer this time, "As I told Ms. Akies before you, and as I am sure she has told you, this area is under my protection. If you Shinigami insist on intruding on my Work, a job I remind you, you have failed to done once before, then...." Suddenly the Mists swirled in front of the young Shinigami, only inches away, quickly forming the image of a young Man dressed in a White suit, a smile on his face but an air of warning about him, Byakko's voice speaking through it as if was his own"....I am sure she mentioned what I am capable of.
Then, just as quickly as the Mist Doll formed, it dispersed into the Mists once more, as if it never was. Byakko looked down again at the young Shinigami. Based on pure Reiatsu, Byakko could tell that the young Shinigami was stronger. Not by much, but enough for Byakko to be cautious of the Young man. Byakko had the young man beat in experience though, the arrogance and confidence of youth shined bright in him. If they where to fight now, the battle would be Costly, for both sides, and Byakko did not need further damage his image in the eyes of the Soul Society. No, if he could bluff, or otherwise deter the young man from a confrontation, then that would be the best option. Though in the end, it would all depend on the young Shinigami, and possibly even Ms. Akies's own report of him.
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Active Effects:
Cloaked Form:

Skills used:

• Mist Doll
  Effect: By condensing his Mist like Reiryoku Cloak, Byakko is able to create a Phantom like Mist Doll that he often uses to Communicate with Humans or those that may be startled by his appearance/presence. Being made of nothing more than Mist, this Doll has no Combat ability, and have no presence or real substance.