Hormiguero; Asenet Esquivel's Skills and Release

^A TACTICIAN'S _ARSENAL

Being in possession of ^HIGH Spiritual Power, Asenet Esquivel can surely say that for her, life has been no crystal stair. A being of such power could only be created from centuries of hardship, as her road towards solidarity clearly evidences, nearly ending in martyrdom on many an occasion. If she were anything less, there would be no chance that the Godking would even think twice about making her more than the commoners among the masses of hollows and arrancar he calls his fracción. Surely it had to be more than her tenacity that he read from her at their first meeting, no matter how she tried to hide it. The burnt cream colored spiritual energy that courses through her lithe frame seems to flicker in fear as she holds it inside, as if to say that it's for her eyes only.

A ^PRACTITIONER of Weapon Use;; Though familiar with the basics of the forms of attack and defense, armed combat has never been this arrancar's area of expertise.

[*] La Bloquea (The Blocker);; In all of her years as a hollow, the arrancar has never gotten the chance to get acquainted with a large variety of weapons. In fact, the only weapon that she has ever used is the shield that her true form now takes, which has left her with a style that favors a solid defense over all else. 'Ace' is not very adept at attacking with her shield, but her years of evasion have shown her the importance of the parry, and as such, despite her lack of skill in the other areas of armed combat, she has become quite practiced with it. More often than not, if forced into combat using her shield, 'Ace' will parry blows with the shield's varied surfaces, and follow up from a distance, or with a blow delivered by her own hand. Often times she appears to be forever on the defensive.

An ^EXPERT of Hand-to-Hand;; While her talents may lie in the distortion of the world around her, that is not to say that this small one is not a force to be reckoned with in close quarters. As the majority of her tricks were meant to deceive or distract, be it defending or dealing a finishing blow, hand-to-hand combat became her preferred method of dealing with both predator and prey. In lieu of bone crushing power meant to wreck an opponent's defenses, in holding her own 'Ace' focuses on the means to overwhelm and disorient with controlled strikes dealt solidly within arm's reach.

A ^PRACTITIONER of Agility;; 'Ace' is by no means the fastest arrancar in Hueco Mundo, but her small frame does afford her some natural nimbleness. Where she lacks in speed, her understanding of her own body has helped to better her dexterity and coordination, easily balancing where others would fall. Disappointingly, sonido is not a skill that she is not proficient in; while she can use it, the coordination it requires is put to better use in intercepting the attacks of her enemies with an unsightly grace about her.

With ^PERFECTED Spiritual Control;; For centuries, having haunted the plains of her hometown taunting families with the sharp knife of their virgin daughters' short lives, 'Ace' has learned the ins and outs of her own spiritual energy perfectly. First, having grown adept in its outward use in torturing in the days before she was a menos, and then, having had to learn to mask her energy so thoroughly in the sands of Tierras Blancas, 'Ace' definitively learned the difference between predator and prey. As a result, she is able to manipulate her spiritual energy so precisely that she can mask her presence completely and the very next second, and for only that second, hint at what her true power may be. Cero, bala, and the like are child's play for her, as she can meter her energy so exactly, even when her reserves are low, to not waste a drop. Unlike a good portion of arrancar, 'Ace' is constantly aware of the circulation of her spiritual energy throughout her body, and can redirect it as she wishes for tasks ranging from spot-strengthening her hierro (see Cáscara) or twisting a cero to tainting her enemies, and that is only the tip of the iceberg. 'Ace's specialty lies in her manipulation of the reishi, or spirit particles, around her, much like the Quincy are able to. While her current level of spiritual power keeps her from feats like forming constructs of reishi, a cero or bala fired remotely is not out of the question, using the particles around her as their fuel. She prefers less tangible pursuits in the meantime. A pastime of hers involves taking advantage of manipulating the particles in such a way that, at just the right distance, their geometries form an image, immaculate in its level of detail. Illusions, changes of her own appearance, all viable options.

[*] La Mancha (Taint);; 'Ace's spiritual energy, a taste hitherto indescribable, is sought out as nourishment by most. Little do they know that while consuming her essence does heal wounds to some extent, the euphoria that they will experience (tasting colors, seeing smells) makes it seem as though she has done so much more. 'Ace' has perfected this technique, and using her control over her spiritual circulation, causes her energy to surge directly into the target of her choice, by direct physical contact. When used in moderation, this technique can be used to heal moderate wounds; however, once her burnt cream colored energy has encased their entire body, this is no longer a healing technique. Each orifice explodes like white fire as their forms, tainted with her energy, her target becoming wretched and immobile, distorted by her energy. Beings more powerful than her can easily slow, or halt entirely, the flow of her spiritual energy into their bodies. The length of contact and relative strength of the target determines whether this technique's true effect comes to fruition. Until her taint has been purged, expelled by their own spiritual energy, or harvested entirely, motion is futile. Often, the arrancar will taint victims to use as quick energy stores for later. Victims will feel lethargic, as if the weight of their soul has increased significantly.

And, with ^MASTERED Perception;; Her eyes may not always know, but her senses do. 'Ace' may not have the quickest senses in the strictly physical sense, but her spiritual awareness of her surroundings is startling. In terms of her skills of observation, where 'Ace' lacks in the understanding of technique and execution, she more than makes up in determining the intention behind an action. Much of her skill in perception is driven by her paranoia, and hesitance to trust. A lifetime's recompense for a simple mistake.

TECHNIQUES

Cero;; A common trick in any arrancar's deadly arsenal, the fact that 'Ace' is capable of using cero should not come as a surprise. The destructive blast, in all of its deep crimson glory, is fired from an almost come hither gesture, originating from the fore and middle fingers.

[*] Cero Chajate Inmaculata (Immaculate Blackmail Cero);; A technique that 'Ace' prefers to use quite often, it turns the destructive power of a cero into the crushing power of a pincer. Once a cero is prepped, before it is fired, 'Ace's antenna dips into the burgeoning mass of energy, and draws it onto her body instead, where it coats the insides of her arms, legs, and fingers. Should two of these be applied to an opponent, an intense amount of pressure would be felt over the space that falls in between, even if 'Ace' herself is applying minimal pressure. If the pressure is maintained, like a pair of scissors, the vice like grip has the potential to cleave in two whatever may be held.

Bala;; A technique that 'Ace' is quite fond of for its speed and immediacy. Her bala are fired from a hand gesturing as if to say 'OK', released by a whip of the three free fingers. They may be fired from either side of her hand, ambidextrously.

Hierro;; As a manifestation of an arrancar's spiritual power, as well as how well it can be subjugated to their will, it follows that this 'Ace's hierro would be something special. Although her spiritual power still has the time to grow, having perfected her control of the power she can muster has rendered her hierro especially durable.

[*] Cáscara (Carapace);; Although she knows that she is not the most powerful of the arrancar, 'Ace' has come to use her skills of perception as a way to further enhance her already hearty hierro. Her Cáscara, a situational hierro of sorts, has come to her aid on many an occasion. Through her anticipation of an attack, the arrancar can concentrate her spiritual power directly on the area that will receive the brunt of the attack, strengthening it for an instant; use of her Cáscara, however, weakens the other areas of her hierro for the very instant she redirects her spiritual power, potentially rendering a blow fatal. The ability is limited by her perception. An attack that she does not perceive, or cannot perceive, is not given a defensive boost. When overwhelmed by an attack, in spite of this ability, rather than bleed, her skin splinters and fractures, like a pane of glass, rendering her hierro useless in that area until she has rested.

Sonido;; With agility not being her strongpoint, it is safe to say that 'Ace' does not have the best skill at using sonido, although she is quite capable of using the technique. While she is slow to start, and often finds herself unable to utilize sonido in tense situations, her perfected control of her own spiritual power allows her aim with the technique to be near unrivaled.

Descorrer;; Despite being a mere fracción, 'Ace's perfection of the manipulation of spiritual energy allows her access to the elusive ability. However, as a fracción, lacking the sheer power to will the tear into existance, she is unable to open the gate in the most conventional way, and instead is forced to resort to using a cero as a catalyst. It isn't always the cleanest method of travel due to the damage that she may incidentally cause. As a result, 'Ace' does not normally use the technique unless requested. Her control over the whirling mess of the Garganta, for her power level, is often well worth it, when expedited travel is desired.

Pesquisa;; Having grown accustomed to putting the old adage into practice, keeping one's friends close, and one's enemies closer, 'Ace' grew adept at living life on the run-and-gun. There, it was important to know just where your predators were, and at all times. Having honed her skills of perception over her centuries swimming in the sands of Hueco Mundo has made her pesquisa sharp, and unlike most of her basic skills, battle ready.

[*] La Antena (The Antenna);; The sole functional antenna that the transformation into an arrancar has spared her comes into play without much effort on her part. Like a divining rod, with the world around her a sea of spiritual energy, 'Ace's antenna is constantly providing her sensory information of the world around her. With it, relative distance, relative strength, and spiritual nature of those that surround her are always at hand; changes in such factors, too, are made readily apparent. She can sense all but the most skilled at spiritual control. When her pesquisa is activated, the taste of a single beings spiritual energy serves as a beacon, and with laser-like precision, the antenna can discern the being's location in real time, flexing as if in the wind. The drawback of this ability, however, is that while the antenna may know, 'Ace' must read its movements before she may act, and it is that lag time that can mean the difference between life or death.

RESURRECCIÓN

Zanpakutou Name: Hormiguero (Anthill) ・皇蟻塚乱 (Imperial Anthill Riot)
Sealed Form A Latin Scutum, a Battle Shield

[*] Its Appearance;; Asenet Esquivel's zanpakutou takes an atypical form among the sea of bladed weaponry that most arrancar possess. Although modeled on a Latin battle shield, its shape does deviate drastically from the common rectangle or oval; it possesses three distinct sections, transitioning seamlessly in a moderate arc that gives the entire shield a distinctive curve. Held upright, from its tip, the scutum begins as a wide, oblong oval, at least twice as wide as its owner. From there, it begins to taper while also becoming a circle, at the center of which lies an orb of lustrous steel, hollow on the reverse of the scutum. The last section, the smallest, curves most drastically. Here, it becomes nearly as wide as it began, though more bulbous than oblong. The shield's total length falls just inches longer than 'Ace' is tall. On its underside, a pair of handles fall on either side of the center circular section. Bone white, the shield is largely unadorned save for a worth of faint, winding markings that pepper its surface, visible only as a whisper of white.

[*] Its Function;; With its robustness, and sizeable surface area, it is clear that this shield is meant to take, yet also deal, massive amounts of concussive force. The orb of steel that sits in its sectioned center is a damage concentrator, and is the point from which 'Ace' throws her blows, should she ever choose to go on the offensive. The edges of the bulbous scutum are reinforced though sharp at the same time, as if it had been traced by the blade of a katana. Rarely will 'Ace' choose to cut an opponent, merely using the sharpened rim as an option to parry a sword's strike. The handles on its underside allow the arrancar to wield it using both hands or single handedly by slipping an arm through the pair of rungs, leaving only the bulbous portion to hang over her hand, the orb of steel centered just above her knuckles. When held in this fashion, the large, sweeping top portion of the shield wraps around her back, looming behind her lithe frame.

Release Command: 蔓延れ、ホルミグエロ_{Habikore, Hormiguero} (Run Rampant, Anthill)

Resurrección Form

[*] Hair, and its Accessories;; Regardless of the state of her hair prior, upon release, the fiery locks hang freely, free of ornamentation.

[*] The Visage;; With her release, the arrancar's mask has returned to her in nearly all of its glory. On either side of her face sits half of an ants head, equipped with an eye and half of a set of pincers. Her human face, can be seen through the gap that separates the two halves. Just past her antennae, the split halves fuse, forming a helmet of sorts, encasing the back of her head while letting her hair fall as it may.

[*] A Frame of Sorts;; In the place of the lithe girl that stood before stands a woman with definitively more curves than before, her bust filling out a bit more. The biggest change to her physique, however, occurs in the torso, which has elongated to make room for a pair of hollow like ant arms, rooted in her spine, that interlock across her abdomen. The change has resulted in her bearing a more shapely figure, akin to an hourglass. Her arms and legs are now covered in bone white armor shaped like an ant's limbs, though still maintaining their previous articulation. Her hands too are covered, though not entirely, leaving their undersides unarmored. The armor falls just short of her bust, meeting at the base of her neck and following her spine until it meets the thorax. Her usual attire remains unaltered.

[*] The Hollow;; The antenna that was once wrapped around her left ear has now returned to its rightful place atop her head. 'Ace's hollow hole still resides to the left of her navel. A pair of hollow like ant arms, bone white, sprout from her spine mid back, clasping together across her abdomen. Above her bottom, just below the arms, the thorax of an ant, bone white, sprouts and sits plump, a little wider than her hips now are. Her skin pales considerably, maintaining that her entire body is covered in an exoskeleton.

[*] Her Price of War;; Rather than the shield that she once held, its remnants hang loosely around her hips as an invitation to death, masquerading as a pleated skirt of sorts. The ends of two folds that extend a few inches longer than the others hold a lustrous orb of steel; each pleat's edge finds the same sharpness that it did when it had been a shield. It shortens from front to back, blending in seamlessly with the texture of the thorax.

Resurrección Techniques

[*] Metrónomo Fluvial (Metronome of the River);; A swish of her hips, and a field of distortion erupts from her core, making her the Mistress of Time in her own limited domain, the space of a few paces from the lips of her hips. As she swings through the center point of her arc, a measured one second passes, based on the swiftness of her swing. The speed with which she passes through this seductive arc is at her own leisure; however in prolonging the dilation of time, she must expend more energy. The downside of this time dilation lies primarily in its range, which only extends roughly a meter in radius from the arrancar's center of gravity. It's secondary, and most crucial weakness, lies in its mechanics. The swing of her hips control the passage of time within her limited domain; however, any movement that she makes to transport herself to another location requires her hips to fall through their arc, effectively speeding up time. For Metrónomo Fluvial to be entirely successful at stopping an attack, Asenet must not move from where she is standing, lest she speeds up time with the movement of her hips. Although her hips may be held askew, effectively stopping time around her, the strain of such manipulating such energies does not lend the technique to be used that way for extended periods of time. It is worth more to engage an enemy in close combat if this ability is to be used. 'Ace' commonly uses the time that such distortion of space buys her in conjunction with her Cáscara, giving the appearance of invulnerability.

[*] Carpintera Mielera (Honeypot Carpenter);; Having released her true form, Asenet reclaims her throne as Queen of her own anthill, her own Hormiguero. However, a queen is nothing without her workers, and in her released form, they have been returned to her, her army of Carpintera. As a manifestation of her former colony, the Arrancar's body itself serves as a home for her minions, which bubble just under the surface, waiting to be birthed once more, and see the light of day. There are a total of six ants that this jaded vixen can produce, though they are of two distinct types, which are similar in appearance. One would think that they were merely large ants, had their odd coloration, or articulation, not given them away. Their carapaces are bone white, showcasing their hollow roots; although they are white all over, their heads, their would-be spines, limbs, and portions of their abdomen are more dense, leaving their undersides more or less transparent. Las Puras, the Pure, are the larger of the two species, and they show it. Her burnt cream colored spiritual energy sloshes in their distended abdomens, visibly borrowing her spirit, her strength. The ants stand approximately three feet high (and about four feet long, as well), the sharp tips of their antennas just reaching the underside of Asenet's breasts. It's a wonder how they were ever birthed in the first place. Las Podridas, the Corrupt, however, are dwarfed by their brethren, measuring less than half their size at nearly one foot tall (and two feet long), their shorter antennas offset by the length of their limbs and crushing pincers. Where the Las Puras were all body, Las Podridas are all limbs, proportionately. Las Puras attack with their sword-like antenna, using them as one would dual wield a pair of katana; they are quick, much quicker than their brethren, the tradeoff being that they are considerably weaker, despite holding more of their host's spiritual energy. The Las Podridas use their limbs' brute strength and harder carapaces, to fight, their jaws working to crush whatever may get in their way. If one of the Las Puras is destroyed, Asenet's spiritual energy, what they use for fuel, is up for grabs. If absorbed, the energy that they possess can go towards healing the minor wounds of others, while replenishing a portion of their own spiritual energy. The key mechanic of this technique is the creation of an anthill made of distortion energy that is created in the wake of whatever path the ants may take. It is a manifestation of the strength of her hierro and spirit, and as such is quite durable. Not bound by terrain, the ants may crawl in any direction that they see fit, even through the air, leaving behind a tunnel of hardened, transparent spiritual energy. All but those with perceptive gifts will have difficulty visualizing the network beyond a shimmer in the air; to those weaker than her, the anthill's maze will appear invisible. With her perfection of spiritual control, the arrancar controls her fleet with ease. Las Puras are more taxing to make, and should Asenet choose to make an entire fleet [6] of Las Puras alone, she would feel almost entirely drained, lest she reabsorbed them all successfully.

[*] Cáscara Picajoso (Paper Carapace);; Based in the strength of her unique hierro, in its released state, Hormiguero takes the ability one step further. With a swift movement, Asenet is able to shuck her entire exoskeleton, leaving an empty shell, save for its spine, which stays with her and is the source of the carapace that forms soon after. In the moment between where her hierro-enhanced carapace is shed and her new carapace grows in, the span of little more than a second, Asenet is at her most vulnerable. The detached shell holds the stance that she did at the moment that the technique was activated, and is able to withstand a wide range of blows, all that just fall short of being able to cause harm to Asenet herself. The carapace is more resistant to the strike of a bladed weapon than to blunt trauma; small projectiles deal the most damage, and if dealt a blow from the inside out, the carapace will shatter immediately. Having momentarily rid herself of all protection for a brief moment of defense, the Arrancar is able to reunite with the carapace, which grants her one of two options. She may wear the carapace as armor, relinquishing movement in favor of sacrificing the shell to an attack; or, she may transport herself to any existing carapace that may remain unshattered on the battlefield. In either case, upon her reentry, a wave of distortion energy sweeps upward in a dome around her, an attempt to knock back any physical presence about her. Once the journey is complete, both shells disintegrate, and take to the wind as dust.