[Trial by Fire: Inexorable might]

Sekhmet: You’re troubled in more ways than one, aren’t you, Kakura?

Captain Kurotsuki: What’s it to you (said as his fends off the flames using speed and kido)?

Sekhmet: (She inhales deeply, closing her eyes in a moment of meditative awareness. Her body is calm, contrast to the active nature of her flames. Revealing a modest grin, she opens her eyes and lowers her head, gazing at Kakura with intrigue). They’ve forsaken you and now you’re forced to battle without their aid. For those attuned to their spirits, having established a meaningful bond, it is as though you’ve relinquished a part of yourself. You can feel the absence, the void. It’s absolute torment.

Captain Kurotsuki: Keep your sage words to yourself, bitch. I don’t need your pity or your advice.

Sekhmet: You’re lost both emotionally and spiritually, I see. That’s a shame. I never imagined you’d embrace death. I envisioned a lengthy struggle. But you’re broken, and so, death may be your only salvation.

Captain Kurotsuki: (His disillusioned tone and indifferent demeanor shield him from her comments, but within his heart, these words resonate. Each echoing with the sound of his sisters screams). Shut your mouth. Your words mean nothing to me and your life means even less (He leaps toward her, thrusting his body through the flames, enduring blistering heat, all for the sake of his pain. The flames easily thwart his efforts and force him back, beating him into the ground. He stands, using his blade as a support).

Sekhmet: Nijo Gao Yokei…

Captain Kurotsuki: What are you yammering on about now?

Sekhmet: That’s what Asmodea utilized during your encounter. It’s an ancient technique, known only to our nation. You see, each nation, or the majority of them, specialize in a particular area or possess a gift, unlike the other nations. It symbolizes their autonomy and individuality. We specialize in this particular ability and it is an important historical artifact. After all, your ancestors decimated Shirubaraito in pursuit and fear of it.

Captain Kurotsuki: Bitch, I don’t care about Shirubaraito or your secrets. I only care about killing you, which I will accomplish today.

Sekhmet: (She laughs softly, transitioning slowly into a sinister, indignant glare) Oh, I’m well-aware. I suspect that will change. Mikazuki was only the beginning, trust me. As for your zanpakuto troubles…they’ve only begun.

Captain Kurotsuki: …what?

Sekhmet: You don’t think our power stops there, do you? The technique had an adverse affect on you, likely as a result of your inferior spiritual abilities. I bet you can’t imagine losing your spirits entirely. That experience, that life long experience, is an unfathomable level of desolation.

Captain Kurotuski: You need to stop talking…(said as his eyes glance about the fighting between Vyenna, Gilgamesh and the captains’).

Sekhmet: Don’t worry. Allow your mind and spirit…spirits to contemplate that agony. It will settle nicely in a short…(she abruptly stops speaking, her eyes widening in response to the activity in the distance. Her face loses its softness, overcome by an undefiable darkness and rage. She throws his flame-gushing blade into the ground and with unyielding speed and precision, flash-steps between a charging Vyenna and Gilgamesh. Despite their speed, she outclasses them effortlessly, appearing ahead of them. Her back is arched and her hands are extended to each side. Her angels, unaware of her presence, due to her speed, collide with her arms, ceasing their high-speed movements. Their chests collide forcefully with her arms, and without delay, she twists her arms, palms facing their chests, and strikes them simultaneously. The force sends each flying backwards. Their bodies slide across the ground, having been swatted away like a mere fly. They regain their composure and kneel, lowering their heads in fear). I SAID I COULD HANDLE THEM! MUST I REPEAT MYSELF?! (She scowls sinisterly, delivering a devious glare at Captain Kurohyou and Captain Elrantz. She holds out her right hand, summoning her sword to her palm. The searing blade unearths itself from the ground and speeds toward her, carrying copious amounts of flames as it glides through the air. As the hilt lands firmly in her palm, the flames that swarm the air like locust, flood past her body.)

Captain Kurohyou: DANKU!

Captain Elrantz: DANKU (Both captains simultaneously summon a Danku, each captain standing beside one another, their barriers standing tall, side by side, as though they were one. The flames crash into the barriers like crashing waves. They barriers crack, unable to endure the force of her flames. To the captains’ dismay, the flames are agile and mobile, enabling them to breach the walls sides and encircle them. The flames swirl around them before crashing into them. The flames ravage their bodies, but fortunately they are able to escape before the flames were able to strip them of their lives).

Sekhmet: (she watches the burned, tattered, and panting captains in the distance) GRAB THE LIEUTENANTS AND LEAVE!

Vyenna: …yes, Sekhmet-dono. (She and Gilgamesh open a Wakiki Getou, grab the lieutenants and walk through the gate, leaving Sekhmet behind).

Sekhmet: Now it’s just us five (Her eyes sparkle as she stares at the captains, only to be interrupted by Captain Kurotsuki. With uncompromising speed, she moves to the side, avoiding him, but slicing into his stomach with her blade. The flames clutch tightly onto his body, burning his flesh. As he falls forward, she brings her blade down onto back, cleaving into his flesh. Blood spouts from his wounds, instantly incarnated by the flames.) This is too easy. It almost makes me feel guilty. I told myself I’d kill you, here and now, but I’ve changed my mind. I want you to suffer longer. And you won’t suffer if you’re dead.

Captain Kurohyou: HADO 88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō (The vibrant, searing blue energy erupts violently from his palm, carving out the Earth in its path. Quidel leaps by and grabs Kakura before the monstrous surge of energy consumes him. As the energy booms toward her, it pierces through numerous layers of thick flame, eliminating them with ease. To Zurui’s surprise, his opponent stares down the attack as it bursts through the flames that lie in its path. Seconds before it strikes her, she raises her blade and begins cutting through the rampaging kido. Her blade forces itself into the depth of the energy, redirecting in both directions.)

Sekhmet: (once the energy has dissipated, she stands proudly, staring at Captain Kurohyou.)

Captain Zurohyou: Impossible…absolutely impossible! She couldn’t have done cleaved a level 88 bakudo in half. This much be a trick, it has to be. It’s completely illogical…

Captain Elrantz: She’s injured, Zurui…look carefully!

Sekhmet: (the attack, though thwarted, managed to deliver a meaningful bite. Her hands, left cheek and shoulder are all bleeding and blistered from the colossal attack). Bravo, captain. You’ve manage to injure me. That’s a remarkable achievement, considering no one has been fortunate to misplace even a single strand of hair. I applaud you, earnestly.

Captain Kurohyou: (He continues to inspect her, baffled by her ability to redirect such a massive flow of energy.) Inner-monologue: Something not right… (He thought, trying to explain away theories, each an honest effort to resolve his confusion). I need to find a way to replay that scene in my head. An answer is there somewhere. (Perplexed by her actions, he is caught off-guard and Sekhmet lands a dreadfully powerful punch to his face, sending him flying across the ground and into a building).

Sekhmet: It appears the scientist is puzzled. That’s a shame (she turns and looks at Quidel, attempting to hold up a withering Kakura. She begins to approach them slowly, flames beaming from her blade). It’s rather morbid, but the smell of burnt captain flesh is soothing to me. I can’t help but take tremendous gratification in your death and suffering, especially as a result of my zanpakuto. It’s rather ironic, actually. Yamamoto burned me with his blade, leaving a small scar on my back. And here I am…about to leave a massive scar on his legacy. This scar will be more than permanent, though. It will be absolute oblivion (she swings her blade, sending flames charging at Quidel and Kakura. They strike the two captains, burning their bodies and sending them flying into the distance. The flames, however, reach deep into Kakura’s skin, branding his chest with a deep, garish scar. The flames abruptly extinguish as she seals her blade, opening up a Wakiki Getou. Zurui appears, hoping to slice into her body with his blade, but she grabs his blade, pulls him close, simultaneously punching him in the stomache with her opposite hand. She swings his blade around and stabs it into his shoulder, leaving him lying on the ground as she enters the Wakiki Getou). So long captains. Thanks for the memories…(she laughs as it closes).

[A Mark of Resolve]

Kakura lay panting, his eyes closed, not feeling the lacing pains that should be dancing through his entire body or noticing the shear damage and pandemonium that had erupted around him the few seconds are Sekhmet’s departure. His mind drifted to and from reality, though at some point during the span of time he lay down on the scorched earth, reality faded from his thoughts. He thought back to what he said to Yua just after Mikazuki’s funeral.

Kakura: Yua! Stop, damn it! She won't be furious with me, she can't feel anything anymore! Know why?! Because she is DEAD!!

Those words echoed round his now indifferent mind. He didn’t care much about what he said, nor the reaction it caused upon the others. However Yua’s tearful face entered his mind and with it unbidden pangs of guilt and anger surged through his body.

Kakura [Inner Monologue]: Why does that women affect me so? Mikazuki was an idiot hung up on futile hopes of bringing peace to herself, against a person she would obviously lose to. Any rational person would say she rushed to her death and that’s not something to be mourned. Fools die every day, yet we don’t mourn every single one. But why is it the tears Yua sheds affect me more than any other person’s?

At this moment, Kakura heard two voices; one serene, gentle and warming, while the other wasn’t much above a growl in pitch.

Both: (The voices echoed around his mind, filling up his consciousness) Well Master, it seems you have finally proven yourself worthy to use us. You’ve fought without trace of fear and you’re still alive, though only by luck. You are now able to release us, Master. Just don’t disappoint us again or you’ll regret it.

The voices faded and their echoes with them. Kakura’s consciousness was empty. No images, no thoughts circulating around the recesses of his mind. He was like this for minutes, not thinking before a light drove its way into his vision…

He woke up in a hospital bed. Bandages covering most of his body from the beating he took. He quickly looked around taking in his surroundings. The room was empty. No one was with him. He wasn’t surprised to say the least. After all, he’d attacked a fellow Captain so they’d probably put a barrier on the door as well as locking the thing. He got onto his feet, wobbling slightly from fatigue and pain. Yet he still made his way to the door and tried to open it. The door wouldn’t budge. However he was too tired to check if there was a barrier on it. He shakily made his way back to his bed, noticing that his zanpakuto was lying on the table next to it. He sat down on the bed and closed his eyes. He thought hard about the encounter with Sekhmet. He wondered why she was so chatty with him. She wasn’t just gloating to him, he’d know if she was, she wasn’t really insulting him either. Something was off. A person who wanted the retribution of her people and is powerful enough to kill four captains without so much as getting a hair out of place who then by some odd stroke of fate decided not to pursue her goal and kill them there and then, it didn’t seem right to him. He also remembered how indifferent she was about being hurt. That didn’t sit well with him either. She definitely let herself get hurt.

He rubbed his head.

Kakura [Inner Monologue] : What use is this information to me? It’s not going to help me kill those bastards. Besides, this would really only help the others and I’m not exactly willing to tell them anything, they’d just get in my way again. It looks like I’m on my own with this one.

He looked down at the bandages that covered his chest. He grabbed them and ripped them away from his torso, revealing the scar that Aosu had left as a farewell present. He thought to himself briefly. “Yua’s not getting rid of this, it’ll serve as a reminder, that Sekhmet Aosu will die by my hands and by my hands alone.”

Kakura then went through in his mind what he’d do after he got out of this place, that is, if he was going to get out of that room at all.

...And where Was Teiko during all of this?

Completely pazilized by a bakudo. He couldn't do anything.

Well I KNOW that, but I was asking why you didn't include him in ANY part of this.

Man: Captain Honoka wants all available hands at the ready just in case.

Woman: There goes our day off

The two shinigami turned a corner and saw a man unconscious on the ground. They ran to him and realized it was Captain Shuichi.

Woman: We have to get him to Captain Honoka fast

Man: Agreed. Help me get him up

They each took an arm and flash stepped over to the medical bay. The two came barging through the door.

Woman: Captain!

Yua: What is it ?

Yua turned around to see what the woman wanted and was shocked to see the battered captain. She was absolutely horrified.

Yua: Oh my God! Kai! You two, bring him the the first empty room. Hurry!

They hurried to the room with Yua right behind them. As soon as they reached the room, they immediately placed Kai on the bed. Yua got right to work in treating Kai. Three long and dreadful hours later, Yua was finished. Kai woke up and noticed his head was bandaged, his torso was bandaged, and his left arm was bandaged from elbow to fingers. He laid there pondering what had just taken place. Yua came in a few minutes later to check on him.

Yua: How are you feeling, Kai?

Kai: Aside from minor pain all over, just fine. Thanks Captain Honoka

Yua: You can call me Yua.

Kai: OK. Where is Kaiya and Kaito?

Yua: They're not here

Kai: What ! I grabbed them when I left the battle

Yua: You hit your head pretty hard, you must have imagined grabbing them. But dont worry, they're both pretty tough

Kai: Yeah, you're right....By the way, did anything happened while I was away?

Yua's warming smile left her face and was replaced with a frown

Kai: What happened?

Yua: Mikazuki was killed by a Shirub

Kai was speechless as his eyes widened from shock and a picture of Mikazuki flashed in his mind

Kai: When's the funeral?

Yua: We already had one. It was a few hours ago

Kai: How long will I be in here?

Yua: A few days. Try and get some rest

Yua left to tend to her other patients. Kai couldnt rest cause all he thought about was Mikazuki and how bad he felt for missing her funeral. Kai lied there all night staring at the ceiling.

[Kindling: Revisited]

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: (The lieutenant manages to leave the Seireitei, venturing further into the Soul Society. Though he understands the dangers, he cannot resist his desires. He quickly moves through the Soul Society, nearing the edge of a massive territory, far from the confines of his barracks). Phew…I’m glad I got out while my captain was distracted. I couldn’t handle being cooped in those barracks any longer. I need my space, my freedom. (He gradually reduces his speed, staring out into the majestic fields, layered with golden grains. He stiffens his legs and allows his body to fall, landing in the soft comfort of the foliage. He remembers a time, long ago, when he visited and trained in this very field. He could remember captains and lieutenants of the past, as he gazed into the morning sky). I best make the most of this relaxing weather. If my captain finds out I left the safety of the Seireitei to simply lie in the sun in a field, he would have my head. (He exhales deeply, dismissing his worries). I have nothing to worry about…(time speeds by, prompting the lieutenant to pop-up from his grassy cover and look around, squinting, as he adjusts to the light). I dozed off for quite some time…(he contemplates his next course of action, deliberating whether he should return or continue exploring. He contemplates and decided to visit an area where many of his childhood memories reside. He walks casually along the stone-paved paths, kicking loose stones as he ponders).

???: Did they not instruct you that travel is when you’re at your most vulnerable? The impulse to travel can be a particularly dangerous one, especially if ventured in solitude.

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: (He abruptly ceases all movements and quickly peers around his environment cautiously) Inner-monologue: That voice, it sounds familiar. She and I have a history, otherwise it wouldn’t echo in my mind Who are you and why haven’t you revealed yourself?

Traea: (She pulls concealing drapes from around her, dismissing the kido)

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: (His body becomes numb as he steps back, entranced by Traea’s gaze).

Traea: It’s rather evident you do remember me. And your response is appropriate considering the reason for my visit.

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: (a bead of sweat trickles down his brow, damaging his efforts to conceal his fear) You’ve come for me…like the others.

Traea: Quite astute, lieutenant. I can see why you were promoted from fourth seat.

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: I think be thanking you, actually. If you hadn’t mercilessly slaughtered Shiogi, I wouldn’t be lieutenant right now.

Traea: That hardly seems like something you’d show appreciation for. After all, in a brief moment, I will thrash your body in an effort to subdue you. And from there, I will drag your unconscious body back to Shirubaraito, where you will be reunited with your former captain.

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: But I’m sure I won’t have an opportunity to enjoy the nostalgia of these visit…

Traea: Clever retorts won’t distract from what is about to transpire (Her gaze is unwavering, burrowing continuously into his soul.)

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: (He attempts to mask his worry, mulling over various options as she quietly speaks. His anxiety only becomes more demanding on his body as she calmly glares at him) Inner-monologue: She was frightening while she was lieutenant, but it has only ripened since then. Those eyes, they…they have always been a source of weakness for me. Such contrast to her lifeless tone. They possess such sparkling beauty, and yet, hold a sinister, cold resonance. Why does she have this effect on me…on everyone in squad nine? My body is trembling…my spirit is trembling. She displays no signs of fear or dismay, she is the perfect warrior. Perhaps, that is why she hides her face from her opponent. She wants the advantage of secrecy. If her opponent cannot physically see her fear, they cannot use it against her

Traea: How much longer do you suspect I will enable your habit?

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: Wh…what do you mean?

Traea: I’m certain your mind isn’t devoid of thought. I can sense your spirit quaking, which means you’re dwelling on either the past or present. And, like any self-proclaimed hero, you are trying to justify your actions and attempting to disassemble mine (Her voice begins to reflect a tinge of loathing). This next phase will surely embarrass your squad because whether you like it or not, nothing you do will affect my ability to apprehend you. That’s a weakness you share with all your comrades, including the captains.

???: Do you have the necessary elements to support that argument, Traea?

(A mysterious presence objects defiantly!)

[Not so Happy a Jubilee]

A figure stepped out of the shadows from nearby, stopping right at Kaganehisho’s shoulder. The lieutenant looked up to see Hsien-Shao Bao-Wong-Ling standing smiling sinisterly at Traea with a sparkle in his eyes that he could not comprehend.

“Captain Wong-Ling?!” The lieutenant gasped in surprise. “Wha—why are you here?”

“I saw a little mouse skittering out of the safety of his mouse hole and thought a cat or hawk may notice and attack. Lucky for me—and you—I was right.”

“You allowed the lieutenant to wander on purpose?” Traea said darkly. “I cannot say I am surprise.”

“Even if you were surprised, you could easily lie with that face plate hiding your expression.” Hsien-Shao calmly stepped around Kaganehisho, putting the lieutenant directly behind him as he stepped forward, his ponytail swinging with his movement. “In fact, all I’ve ever seen is that beautiful sapphire of your eyes. Why not grace an old friend with the sight of your entire visage?”

“‘Friend’?” Traea repeated shortly. “Perish the thought. That word is one of the least likely explanations for what you are to me.”

“Then what am I to you?” Hsien-Shao asked as he stopped his advanced, still several yards between the two. “We have known each other for years prior to your rebellion. Is it your pride that keeps you from viewing me as a friend? Or is it because your beloved princess decrees that we shinigami are trash, and so you alienate us from you?”

“My disgust for you is a matter of personal pride.” Traea replied smoothly. “But you need not be mistaken. You are trash, just like the other shinigami.”

“Is that why you were slaughtered by us years ago?”

Traea stared at him silently for a long moment. Hsien-Shao stared back with a calm expression, waiting patiently for her response.

“It is why you will be slaughtered by us this time.” Traea replied finally. “We will purge the great evil that is you.”

“‘Evil’, was it? I suppose you are right. You can never call genocide good.”

“So even you admit it…”

“You can never call genocide good,” Hsien-Shao repeated, “But it can be for the sake of justice as well.”

“What are you saying?”

“Killing can never be condoned as good. I admit this. But Soul Society stands for the sake of principle and justice. No matter how warped and contrary our actions may be, they would not take place if we do not believe that they are right, even if they are not good. This is how people base their actions, by balancing what is ‘right’ and what is ‘good’.”

“So you try to condone these actions by saying they were in the name of justice? Ridiculous. You never cease to flaunt your arrogance when you have the chance to.”

“Traea, let me ask you then. Is what you are doing good? Is it right? You intend to take your vengeance out on all of Soul Society because we slaughtered your people years ago. What happens after you do the same for us? Will you finally be able to rest in peace? Will you be satisfied that your people have been avenged? After all is done, there will be nothing for you but the empty sense of accomplishment. To me, your actions are the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in ages, comically so.”

“You mean to say that we are acting hypocritically.” Traea said shortly. Hsien-Shao nodded. Traea stared at him for a long moment before vanishing from his sights. She reappeared to his right, at the same distance, hold a hand out.

“Hado 54, Haien.” She said, aiming at Hsien-Shao. He prepared to dodge the flying red disk swiftly, but it curved at the last moment, heading toward the vice-captain. Dust flew in the air upon collision, and when it settled, it showed Hsien-Shao standing in front of Kaganehisho, hands up in fists. His knuckled were red from the heat of the kido attack, but both were otherwise unharmed.

“Tell me, Captain Wong-Ling.” Traea lowered her hand to relax her position once more. “You allowed the lieutenant to exit Seireitei and followed him intentionally, hoping to run into one of us of the Shirub, yes?”

“Correct.” Hsien-Shao replied, cocking his head curiously, wondering what she was getting at.

“In other words, you took advantage of his foolishness and let him put himself in danger. However, you protect him now, even though you had simply intended to use him. Your actions appear quite contrary to me. Is this not your own brand of hypocrisy?”

Hsien-Shao chuckled lightly. “Fair point, Shirub. I’d expect that from someone like me.”

“‘Someone like me’?”

“A person who can see the right and wrongs before them and analyze them critically. It is true, I did use the lieutenant’s actions to my advantage, but it is not as if I intended him harm. No matter what may happen, I will never forsake my allies simply because they act like an idiot.”

“Captain…” Kaganehisho murmured in surprise. Traea, however, had caught the nuance.

“You’re speaking of your fellow captain, Kurotsuki.” She murmured as her hand wandered to the handle of the large Eku across her back. Hsien-Shao smiled as he took a combat stance, one hand clenched above his head, the other in front of him with two fingers up. “Don’t tell me you intend to avenge that woman.”

“I do not avenge the dead. Or else that would really make me the hypocrite. Her brother, however, is a different story. I find myself having to praise the one who stripped the armor off from his soul. He’s bare and vulnerable, pitifully so.”

“All is as according to our Lady Sekhmet’s will. Your pain and suffering will have you all on your knees before your heads are severed from atop your shoulders.”

“Which of us is the arrogant one now?” Hsien-Shao said wryly as he vanished. Traea shifted back to avoid the swift kick that nearly connected with her chin. She swung her large paddle-like weapon with immense force, aiming to hit Hsien-Shao's neck and break it. Hsien-Shao allowed his momentum to carry him into a backflip and avoid the swing and he landed on his hands, wheeling onto his feet quickly to dodge a sudden stab with the flat eku as Traea jabbed at him ferociously. Hsien-Shao evaded the strikes carefully before suddenly grabbing the end with his hand and thrusting one fist forward into her gut. Traea shifted and brought the wide paddle edge of the eku to block the strike. A shudder went through the ground upon impact, sinking both of their feet into the dirt ground slightly. Hsien-Shao backed away as Traea wrenched the eku from her grip and spun it quickly, almost like a baton. Hsien-Shao narrowed his eyes slightly as the paddle-like ends picked up dust and sent it swirling around them.

“Still refuse to draw your sword?” She noted as she pressed in with several swift swings. “Or do you still insist that it means you’re taking me seriously barehanded?”

“Personal pride.” Hsien-Shao snorted as he used the back of his hands and knees to block the wide, but forceful swings of the eku. Each time they connected, a loud crack echoed through the air. “I’ve abandoned that long ago. Everything I do now is in the best interest of Law.”

“You never believed in something so deceitful.” Traea contradicted. “Or have you recently begun to believe that Soul Society truly is an absolute existence?”

“Law is what is absolute.” Hsien-Shao replied with a sigh as he appeared almost silently behind Traea. She swung around without hesitation, aiming once more to break his neck. Hsien-Shao let himself fall back to avoid the strike and his leg came flying up in a powerful arc. Traea blocked it from crushing her side, but she lost a few feet in ground as a result. Hsien-Shao stood straight, his smile gone. “Soul Society stands for this Law, and so I follow it. You, however, submit to the will of a woman you deify as some sort of god.”

“If you were aware of the feats she’s accomplished and the absolute power she wielded you would not be able to speak that way of her.” Traea assured. “But the one who will drag you through the agonizing fields of hell will be none other than me.”

She raised her hand and fired another powerful Haien in the lieutenant’s direction. He’d tried to sneak away, but clearly that wasn’t going to happen so easily.

“Bakudo 81, Danku.” Hsien-Shao said grimly. A transparent wall appeared before the lieutenant, protecting him from the kido.

“Do not move, vice-captain.” Hsien-Shao said with authority in his voice. “If you see another one of these self-proclaimed ‘angels’ coming your way, scream. If not, remain silent and stay where you are as to not distract me.”

“How confident you are, Captain Wong-Ling.” Traea observed. “What if you fall prey to me?”

“That goes without saying.” Hsien-Shao replied frowning at her. “If I go down, he can either be beaten to near death by you, or he can make it quick and painless by ending himself with his blade. I could advise him as to which is the better option, but his life will be in his own hands by that point.”

“Your arrogance is nauseating.”

“As is yours, my dear.”

Just to clarify, Traea doesn't have a sword, she has a large Eiku suspended from her back. It was in my previous post, but that was long ago. I should have mentioned that earlier. :P

Thank you for telling me, I'll get to changing that now.

[Fatally Eloquent]

Traea: (She glares at Hsien-Shao, noting his confidence and unwavering resolve) It’s evident not much has changed. You continue to rely on flawed logic, which only makes your arguments that much more laughable.

Captain Wong-Ling: I don’t see you laughing?

Traea: My laughter isn’t what’s important, I’m afraid.

Captain Wong-Ling: Oh, yeah? How’s that? Here you just said I’m laughable and yet you argue you’re laughter is insignificant? From my perspective, I should be the one laughing.

Traea: (Her movements are fluid and without flaw, enabling her to bypass Hsien-Shao’s senses. She abruptly appears beside him, swinging her massive Eiku. He narrowly avoids the weapons cascading sweep and watches as the momentum carves through the rocky soil).

Captain Wong-Ling: (He adjusts his posture, rising to maximum height and staring into Traea’s lustrous eyes).

Traea: There are many things you do not understand, Captain Wong-Ling. You believe to have a complete understanding, but, in fact, you’re just as limited as the others.

Captain Wong-Ling: Oh? Honestly, I think I have many things figured out. Everyone believes they must be the one to put an end to you and your cohort, but I believe vengeance proves its own executioner.

Traea: That’s where you’re fatally mistaken, Captain. Revenge is an act of passion and vengeance of justice. The best among us will learn from the mistakes of the past. While the rest seem doomed to repeat them. And then there are those who operate on the fringes of society. All of which are unburdened by the confines of morality and conscience. It’s the ruthless bread of monsters whose deadliest weapon is their ability to hide in plain sight. You see, while you fabricate a rapport with justice, I denounce it. In a matter of passion, the law is no longer absolute. Then again, it never was to begin with. Individuals choose to associate the law with absolutes as it pacifies their contradictory nature. As time passes and new souls enter this world, so to do new forms of thought. New perceptions begin reshaping what is considered moral and unmoral. The same can be said for your laws.

Captain Wong-Ling: (He stares at her quietly, unsure as of how to respond) In no context is revenge the appropriate solution to your problem. It resolves nothing, not even when fueled by passion.

Traea: It’s awfully convenient…

Captain Wong-Ling: What is?

Traea: The manner in which you dismiss and justify past digressions. And yet, you condemn those who choose to share in that.

Captain Wong-Ling: I have yet to dismiss anything. I openly regret the past mistakes of the Soul Society, but I will not identify with them, as you would have me do.

Traea: On the contrary, Captain. You have dismissed many facts. You claim moral superiority because you choose to act within the law, whereas we angels choose to respond with swift revenge. The Soul Society blurred the lines established by the authority. And at that precise moment, when the governing bodies of the Soul Society chose to act upon their insecurities, outside the edict, they forcefully abolished all absolutes pertaining to the law. They forfeited any right to claim lawful superiority.

Captain Wong-Ling: (He furrowed his brow and proceeded to scowl at her arguments) …

Traea: I’m afraid you can no longer rely on the law to aid your decision-making. Which means…(She flash-steps in front of Hsien-Shao’s face, her hand slung back, building momentum for a swing) you’re in grave danger. (She swings her blade, releasing a surge of energy that almost consumes the nimble captain).

Captain Wong-Ling: Inner-monologue: Avoiding each swing is important, but the result of each swing is of considerable significance. I thought contact with that weapon was the main priority, but the energy it releases with each swing is devastating. In the past, I thought I knew who possessed each rank, but she has me thrown. What rank could she preside over to have this level of strength…

Traea: Considering your odds, Captain?

Captain Wong-Ling: (He scowls, choosing to respond by flash-stepping toward her, swiping his blade across the blunt side of her Eiku. As he passes by her, he kicks the air, building Reiatsu beneath his feet and using the momentum to dive back at her. His blade clashes with the edges of her Eiku, but he maneuvers around the blades and begins a journey down the shaft of her weapon. As though in slow motion, his blade sparks as it rides down the hilt. He locks eyes with her, expecting her to respond with some clever tactic. She simply leans back and releases her zanpakuto. His blade passes above her face and she uses the weight of her body to add strength and velocity to her kick. She completely arcs her back and allows her foot to pass through the space between his forearms, as both hands are clutching his hilt for added control. With her foot now firmly pressed between his hands, on his forearm, she completes her rotation and uses the accumulated force to propel him forward. She finishes her flip, quickly grabs her Eiku and blasts his back with the flat-end of her weapon. The force sends him speeding into the ground below, shattering the rock.)

Traea: (She slowly approaches Captain Wong-Ling, as he unearths himself from the rubble) I wonder how long it will take for me to reduce your absurd over-confidence to rubble?

Captain Wong-Ling: It may take you a while, Traea. I’m not over-confident, I am simply realistic.

Traea: We shall see (Said as she glares through her face plate. She slowly shifts her focus, gazing into the lieutenants eyes). I can sense you questioning the captain. Your spirit quakes, even now. You don’t feel any safer, which may be considered the most appropriate response considering the facts. Tell me something, lieutenant. What do you see when you gaze into my eyes?

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: Emptiness…

Traea: No…oblivion.

Lieutenant Kaganehisho: (His eyes widen as he backs up)

Traea: You should be scared, lieutenant. Because once I have successfully done away with Captain Wong-Ling, I will come for you.

Captain Wong-Ling: (he dives at Traea and begins a flurry of swipes and jabs) GO! Return to the Seireitei!

Traea: (She swings her Eiku, but Hsien-Shao quickly dodges the swing and thrusts his foot onto the shaft, forcing it to the ground. He walks up the neck of her weapon and prepares to stab her when she abruptly releases the blade, damaging his balance and efforts. She dives toward him and strikes him in the face with her fist, simultaneously kneeing his chest. He abruptly grabs her leg and throws her on the ground, shifting his blade’s direction, in preparation to stab her. He drives the blade into the ground, but misses her as she twists her body to the side. Simultaneously, she grips his neck with her legs and slams his body into the ground. She leaps up, clutching her Eiku tightly. Her eyes dart in the lieutenant’s direction). I can’t have you returning to the Seireitei. That wouldn’t be ideal. Bakudo 83: Omoku aiankyūpora. (A kido-composed cupola materializes in the sky above the lieutenant. Like a hollowed turtle shell, it falls atop the lieutenant, trapping him beneath its powerful exterior).

Captain Wong-Ling: He’s safe from you in there, but the same cannot be said for you and me.

Traea: Your threats do not frighten me, Captain. For in the end, you are far from my equal.

Captain Wong-ling: You may believe that to be true, but like I said earlier, you will prove to be your own executioner.

Traea: We’ve returned to that absurdity?

Captain Wong-Ling: Yes, we have! (He flash-steps toward her, delivering thoughtful attacks with no success. He watches as Traea effortlessly dodges each attack, her speed far greater than he last remembered. He fights on, hoping to secure an advantage. He hesitates for a moment, but that is all that is needed. Traea breaks his defense, slamming her zanpakuto forcefully into his blade. Her strength is impressive, considering her stature. He thrusts his body forward, releasing himself from the weight of her Eiku. She begins twirling it between her fingers like a baton, each successful spin sweep pieces of earth from the ground. Using both hands to grip his hilt tightly and planting his feet firmly in the ground, he allows her Eiku to land on his blade. He halts its movements, enabling him to leap back and charge forward, his blade aiming for her chest. She simply twirls the Eiku, allowing it to intersect with the blade’s path and its force to knock his blade to the right.)

Traea: Your movements are awfully foolish. If I didn’t know better, I would surmise you were attempting to fool me into a false sense of victory. You wouldn’t be that treacherous, would you (delivering a deadening glare at Captain Wong-Ling as she questions him)?

Captain Wong-Ling: HADO 33: Sokatsui!

Traea: (She easily extinguishes the blue flames by swatting them with her Eiku’s flat surface).

Captain Wong-Ling: (He quickly leaps forward, firing another Sokatsuki, allowing her to simply bat it from sight. This time, however, he uses the distraction to enter the space closer to her. He circles her body, delivering quick strikes. He watches as she is forced to wield her weapon with two hands, giving her greater control). Interesting tactic! Tell me, what’s your rank?

Traea: If you survive longer than ten minutes, perhaps you’ll find yourself privileged enough to receive such data.

Captain Wong-Ling: I think I can manage ten minutes!

Traea: I’m not certain you can. Normally, I would refrain using Shikai, but matters of this magnitude call for extreme measures. I recommend you assault me with tremendous vigor. For in five minutes, if I am not defeated, I will release my Shikai and you…will meet your end (her tone echoes the ominous warning, only to be emphasized by her loathing gaze).

Do you need another captain? You barely use Teiko. Not to mention, 175? Wow!

[That Dragon, Fangs Unvieling]

Hsien-Shao retreated back several steps and looked at Traea for a moment before breaking out in a fit of flatter, clutching his sides as he chuckled. Traea observed this curiously.

“You find this funny?” She asked. Hsien-Shao shook his head as he regained control over himself.

“I apologize if that was rude, I simply couldn’t help myself.” He continued to smile as he spoke. “I cannot be sure of whether you have changed substantially or not at all. I suppose I haven’t had to privilege to speak with you in so long, and even then you weren’t much of a talker.”

“In other words, you didn’t know me.”

“Indeed. Learning is always a fun experience. But, at the same time, I’m harmed. You don’t think that I can survive against you for more than five minutes, let alone ten?”

“As we just mentioned, you don’t know me. You must have realized by now that none of us Shirub are nearly as weak as we were while working for Soul Society.”

“Oh yes, you’ve clearly been holding out before. I had assumed your people were of great pride before considering that false that must be if you willingly allied yourself with people you despise, even if it was to further your plans.” Hsien-Shao’s smile grew taunting. “Or did you suck up your pride because you fear what would happen if you let your dignity get in the way of the will of your beloved princess?”

“Don’t think that by incensing another discussion, you’ll be able to stall for ten minutes.” Traea said as she appeared right in front of Hsien-Shao, swinging her eku fiercely. It cleaved through the earth beneath her, leaving a deep scar as she slashed it up at him. Hsien-Shao narrowed shifted his body back to avoid the devastating blow and was behind Traea in an instant, holding both ends of the eku beside her own hands and pulled back to pin her with it against her throat. Traea slipped underneath the shaft of the eku and swung on it like a bar, kicking out at Hsien-Shao as she swung so she was above him. He released the eku and caught her around the ankle, gripping tightly.

“Sho.” He said with a grin. He released Traea’s ankle as she swung her other leg around to kick the side of his head and he retreated further as she landed on the ground awkwardly.

“Despite your words, your tactics lack any dignity or honor.” Traea said scathingly as she shifted her weight off her right ankle. Hsien-Shao’s low leveled kido spell had hit at point blank, knocking Traea’s bone out of its socket despite having done no external damage.

“I have already verbally denounced any personal pride you believe I may have.” Hsien-Shao reminded her as he took his combat stance once more. “By the way, I have something I’d like to mention. You say you will release your shikai in five minutes and slay me, and that I was stalling with conversation. I resent that. Do you honestly believe that I am so good-natured as to wait for that to happen?”

With that, he took a deep breath and vanished once again, appearing before Traea. He thrust both his arms out in a parallel motion and Traea blocked both strikes with the shaft of her eku and went flying back several yards. She forced herself upright from her horizontal flight in order to catch herself by sticking her eku in the ground to slow her momentum. Hsien-Shao was on top of her in an instant, falling toward her with his knee out. Due to the slowness of the strike, Traea made to evade and counter promptly, using both feet in the process. She winced as a pain shot through her ankle suddenly and she remembered the displaced bone. So she immediately blocked the strike meant for her shoulder with her hand. She winced as the force, despite being slowly, was strong enough to force her hand down a few inches. If it had connected with her shoulder, she would have been in trouble.
Traea swung her eku around as Hsien-Shao’s fists and knees came flying out in a flurry, pressuring her. She recognized the bone breaking martial art at once. It was designed to leave a person unable to move through all the agony of broken bones that weren’t set right, rendering any continuous fighting uselessly. She knew better than to attempt to block any further with physical contact.
At the same time, Hsien-Shao was careful to avoid the more brutal swings of her eku, using the wideness of each one to move in closer to strike fiercely.

To avoid one of the more deadly strikes, Traea was forced to jump into the air with her one foot, unwilling to let herself stumble and leave herself open for another attack. Hsien-Shao stood straight as he raised one hand close to his body without uttering a word and a block box began to build itself around Traea. She swung her eku and shattered it easily with the force of the strike alone. Did he expect to have an effective kido spell when he didn’t even utter the word?

It was quickly evident that he did not. Hsien-Shao tossed his sword into the dirt in front of him as he took a running start, the sword impaling itself with the hilt facing up. Hsien-Shao landed on the hilt and jumped into the air quickly, reaching her elevation with easily, rotating his body like a top quickly all the while. Traea drew her eku up in front of her just in time to block the fierce blow from his fist. The force sent her flying into the ground, creating a crater in the area where she landed with her at the center. Traea stood up from the collision to see Hsien-Shao standing at the edge, looking down at her with one hand up in front of him.

“When aiming to slay a dragon,” He said with a sigh. “Do you watch for his fangs or his claws? Hado 88, Hiryugekizokushintenraiho.”

Flames and electricity fired down into the crater with incredible force, sending debris flying around the area. Hsien-Shao waited patiently, eyes shut, letting his breath out slowly with his muscles relaxing under his robes.

Crazie, I use both of my captains. And, i don't think it should matter how old they are, as long as they are completely qualified for their position.

There. Happy now? She's gone.

Thanks! Oh, and age is significant. It's a matter of congruence and clarity. Your character is 176 when her peers are all 500+ and even they have a difficult time managing against opponents who are 1000+. Do you see? When placed under that level of context and logic, it is difficult to envision a character, so young, fairing very well as a captain. Sure, Bleach is a fictional universe, but even fiction needs to be comprehensible.

Let's not forget that Ichigo is only 17 when he defeats Aizen. Your notion that the captains all have to be around 500+ years old is silly and completely bland. I can't believe you, the almighty ruler of this forum would stoop to thinking at such a low level. There has to be variations between the ages of the captains, otherwise the forum would become just as dull and boring as it was before the very first battle was ever posted on this forum.

Oh, by the way, in case you and your Godly mind couldn't tell, that bit in the middle, THAT WAS SARCASM.

[Lethal Elegance]

Captain Wong-Ling: (The fierce, rampaging river of energy buzzed as it consumed the area around Traea. The ferocity of the assault managed to scar the ground and the backdrop, leaving only devastation in its wake. As snarling energy dissipated, Captain Wong-Ling couldn’t help but look onto the scene with a smile on his face. He was unable to decide whether he was smiling from pride, based on such a well-executed attack, or luck, managing to surprise such a shrewd observer. He patiently waited for the debris to settle, hoping to catch a glimpse of either a battered and defeated opponent or a sincerely wounded and desperate enemy. As the dust and dirt dispersed, he couldn’t help but fall prey to shock as she continued to stand in defiance to his most fearsome attack. He glanced at her carefully, hoping to observe the smallest of wounds, but could not find anything. She was unharmed, but the space around here was completely ravages. There were no signs of a danku, which puzzled him.)

Traea: (She quietly delivered a monstrous gaze, capable of peeling flesh from bone. Her body was solid, unshakable despite the surrounding circumstances. She held her eiku tightly in one hand, allowing it to rest on the battered soil.)

Captain Wong-Ling: (His smile begins to dissipate as her gaze persists, transitioning into an awkward silence as the echoes of chaos begin to subside. So many thoughts race through his mind, while she continues glares at him. He feels a peculiar sensation, like nothing he’s ever felt. He think to himself, “could this be anxiety? No…” he tells himself, “it can’t be. No one shakes me, I am unshakable.” He’s confused by these feelings. He’s typically the one to find his way beneath someone else’s skin, but it seems he has become disturbed, on some level, by her solid, unwavering composure.) Inner-monologue: She’s always been like this…cold, calculating. This is why I never trusted her, but now that she is my opponent, I can’t help but find this worrisome. Perhaps, when she was my comrade, I never allowed it to bother me. How’d you do it?

Traea: How did I protect myself from the dragon? The way I see it, one need not agonize whether to fear a beast’s claws or fangs when neither are destined to reach them. In matters of fate, even a dragon’s almighty roar is reduced to nothing more than a chirp.

Captain Wong-Ling: Fate, eh? That’s an awfully tall order.

Traea: I wonder whether you’ll express this same enthusiasm when you’re writhing in agony and watching while I drag the lieutenant back to Shirubaraito?

Captain Wong-Ling: You won’t be touching the lieutenant, I’m afraid.

Traea: Your characteristically acerbic humor dissolves quickly when the lieutenant is threatened. It’s evident your struggles you remain on the periphery of emotional connectivity have not been as successful as you had hoped.

Captain Wong-Ling: Now you hope to understand me?

Traea: I couldn’t care less, actually. And we both know you’re well-aware of that.

Captain Wong-Ling: I think I picked up on your apathetic tone when we both served in squad nine.

Traea: (She looks down at her ankle, indifferent to the pain) What a clever tactic, captain. You had hoped to limit my mobility, thereby gaining the advantage of agility. You managed to dislocate my talus, which is quite a feat, considering you used a level one hado. (She abruptly throws her heel into the ground, twists her ankle, and slams her ankle with her Eiku).

Captain Wong-Ling: (He inspects her every move, skeptical of her efforts)

Traea: (She abruptly straightens her posture, followed by a flare of spiritual energy which seems to surge toward her ankle. She calmly rotates her ankle, all the while maintaining a gaze, directed at Hsien-Shao). It seems your efforts, once again, proved fruitless.

Captain Wong-Ling: You just damaged the exterior of your ankle to adjust an internal problem. That took guts, I have to admit.

Traea: There are no lengths I’m unwilling to go to decimate the Soul Society. That’s merely a small effort on my part. But, the moment for trivial conversations has ended. Your time has expired, captain.

Captain Wong-Ling: I thought I told you that such guidelines are baseless. You can’t…(he suddenly ceases upon exposure to the tremendous spiritual pressure being released by Traea. He stares at her in amazement, marveling in the power she possesses.) Inner-monologue: She’s much stronger than I last remember. No lieutenant can release such dense, spiritual pressure. It appears she is done toying with me. Good!

Traea: You consider my threats to be baseless, but I can assure you, they’re real. You couldn’t manage to set-aside your immature defense mechanisms and that error in judgment will cost you your life and the lieutenant’s safety. I should preface by revealing that the blade you see now is my Shikai.

Captain Wong-Ling: I thought it was too big to be a sealed blade. So what?

Traea: Though my zanpakuto and I share many characteristics, she possesses a few rare qualities that do not particularly resonate with me. To ensure my constant release, she demands I indulge her more theatrical nature (As she speaks, her eyes carefully and slowly inspect her Eiku).

Captain Wong-Ling: (He adopts a quizzical expression, unsure as to what Traea speaks of. He continues to quietly observe, gripping his blade tightly, prepared for any surprises).

Traea: (Traea adjusts her focus from her zanpakuto to Hsien-Shao. She begins speaking slower and more ominously) …she prefers to be introduced. Shift…Usoda (A massive pulse of energy surges through the atmosphere, radiating from her Shikai.)

Captain Wong-Ling: (Though this pulse of energy is invisible to the naked eye, Hsien-Shao can sense a dense ocean of spiritual pressure forming all around him). Inner-monologue: This feeling is unlike any spiritual pressure I have felt before. It’s dense, but it feels peculiar. Not only that, but it appears to have completely enveloped the entire area. (His eyes observe his surrounds, abruptly shifting and focusing on Traea). I’m completely surrounded by this energy. It’s reach is…impressive. I wonder what you can do, Traea? </i>
Traea: (Armed with uncompromising agility, Traea bolts through the air, catching the unwary captain off-guard. She materializes before him, swinging her Eiku vertically, allowing it to collide with the ground. Captain Wong-Ling narrowly escapes initial damage as a result of contact with the eiku, but upon striking the ground, it generates a massive plume-like explosion. Energy expands in all directions from the impact, singeing the captains clothing and left arm. She quickly advances, allowing no time for recovery. Her speed and dexterity with her eiku is unlike anything Hsien-Shao expected. Each swing produces a violent eruption of power. She twirls it between her fingers with ease, allowing it to spin like a propeller. Hsien-Shao nimbly leaps across the ground, avoid the quick rotations as the blade carve into all material contacted. He leaps in the air, but Traea’s speed easily thwarts his efforts to place distance between them. )

Captain Wong-Ling: (Hsien-Shao is fortunate, managing to avoid contact with her blade, but he cannot execute his movements quickly enough, thereby exposing himself to the devastating explosions as a result of each swing. He knows if he continues to take damage, it will eventually cripple his performance. He slams his blade into hers, not allowing her to complete the swing. He is panting, exhausted from continually evading her onslaught. He watches Traea leap back and twist her body, allowing her eiku to flow with her movements. He takes evasive action, unsure to whether he should risk making contact with her eiku when her speed is at such a heightened rate.) Inner-monologue: She can definitely wield that monstrous weapon skillfully and with grace, but I could solve a lot of my problems if I only knew whether I could survive contact. Sure, it can produce pulses of energy, capable of immense damage, but perhaps that wouldn’t happen if I could stop each swing by countering with a strike from my blade. The problem is…that eiku is accompanied by a lot of force, especially while she’s placing a lot of her speed into each swing. It is too risky to expose myself like that.</i>

Traea: (She abruptly changes tactics, maneuvering around the battle field with incredibly speed and alternating between her left and right hand. As she swings her eiku, cleaving trees and rocks and uprooting the ground, she rotates her body, building momentum. She leaps in the air and dives at Hsien-Shao, stabbing her eiku into the ground, generating an explosion. Captain Wong-Ling takes advantage of this and lunges at her, slashing her side with his blade. She runs up the shaft of her eiku and flash-steps behind Captain Wong-Ling. She delivers five quick strikes, pushing him back. He thrusts his blade forward, but she simply side-steps his attack and flash-steps, clutching onto her Eiku, still rooted in the ground. Her movements resemble that of a monkey, jumping from branches, as she runs once around the eiku, holding the staff-portion tightly. She circles the eiku, spinning upward quickly. She completes her rotation, releases her grip, and slams her feet into Hsien-Shao, drilling him into the ground. She then leaps up and backwards, clutching her Eiku and pulling it from the ground while she rotates in the air. She halts and dives at him, sweeping her eiku across the ground, generating a massive explosion.)

Captain Wong-Ling: (his quick thinking enables him to summon a unique Bakudo) Bakudo 78: Toripurofōrudoranpāto (He summons three, grandiose ramparts, each erupts from the ground, composed of pure kido energy. The green structures massive frame endures the eruption of energy, shielding the captain as he attempts to distance himself from her.)

Traea: (As her eiku collides with the ground and produces energy that is broken-up by the barriers, she looks up and glares in his direction, her sight obscured by the ramparts. She slams her feet into the ground, arches her back and thrusts her eiku forward, throwing it like a javelin. It breaches the rampart, smashing through each barrier, having been weakened by the explosion as a result of her earlier attack.)

Captain Wong-Ling: (amazed by her skill and tenacity, he watches as the eiku crumbles the massive structures and speeds toward him. He flash-steps away, taking refuge in the sky. His safety is not long-lived, however. He watches as Traea speeds across the ground, in pursuit of her Eiku. He fires multiple hados at her, but she easily evades them. She rolls across the ground, simultaneously clutching her blade. She completes her rolls, twists her body and uses the momentum to catapult her eiku. To his surprise, she throws her zanpakuto at him. He flash-steps out of its path, watching as it strikes a hill-side, prompting an explosion that decimates the rocky hill-side).

Traea: (She glares at him, hatred projecting from her eyes. She watches the captain carefully, observing his wounds and taking notice to his exhaustion. She examines the severity of his injuries as she casually walks across the scarred battlefield.) You’re awfully calm considering the circumstances, captain.

Captain Wong-Ling: (he releases a weighted exhale, followed by a lengthy inhale) Heh…the same could be said for you.

Traea: You misunderstand, captain. Our reasons for composure are entirely different. You’re visibly out-classed and you’ve taken notice to that. And it has prompted you to maintain your composure for fear of exploitation and distraction. Whereas my composure is a result of nothing more than a lack of stimulation, as you are unable to adequately defend against me. It’s not a sign of weakness to admit your faults or to accept your inferior status among the two of us. In all sincerity, it doesn’t matter. Your weakness presides whether you accept it or not (she delivers a cold, menacing glare, though her eyes sparkle with an unwavering majesty).

Captain Wong-Ling: Tsk (he shrugs off her insults with a scowl). Say what you’d like, but your Shikai isn’t all that tough. I can find a solution to it.

Traea: (She locks eyes with the captain) What gave you the impression that Usoda’s skills were limited to what has transpired?

Captain Wong-Ling: (His expression dissolves and he enters silent contemplation. He exhales, looking down at his injures, a shadow obscuring his eyes). …I see (his tone took on an acute sternness as he acknowledged Traea’s response). …Still holding back…maintaining a level of secrecy? You haven’t changed, my dear. I have, unfortunately for you (He suddenly flash-steps, his image nothing but a blur as he glides through the sky. His tactic shifts dramatically, releasing a series kido-based energy blasts, which Traea calmly side-steps. He bolts to the ground, rooting himself in the soil). Kongōbaku!!!

Traea: (She maintains her position, casually observing the massive-flaming orb hurtle toward her) Kijun-sansho…

Captain Wong-Ling: (he watches as numerous flaming spheres roar in her direction. He is perplexed by her behavior, her composure in the face of certain danger. As he continues to carefully observe Traea, his eyes witness something that is so disturbing he cannot manage a grin). Inner-monologue: …what? (He watches as the kido passes through her body and seems to dissolve in the air past her. He is astonished by this turn of events and unsure as to how she managed to bypass his kido. He leaps forward and thrusts his fists outward, releasing another kido) Hado 74: Moeru Yona! (A torrent of raging energy soars across the battlefield, ready to devour Traea.)

Traea: (She boldly speeds straight toward the cascade of fiery energy, passing through it while Hsien-Shao watches in absolute astonishment. She reaches the captain and swing his eiku forcefully in his direction, while soaring through the air. He leaps back and summons a danku, which endures the fury of the energy surge. She darts around the danku, having unsuccessfully damaged it and begins another onslaught. As she approaches Captain Wong-Ling, she brings her zanpakuto crashing into the ground. Before impact, he leaps over her, landing behind her. As though her movements were connected, with fluid precision, she grabs the hilt of her zanpakuto and twists her body to face Captain Wong-Ling. She slides her body across the ground, swinging her eiku vertically, releasing a wave of energy that steamrolls through the ground. )

Captain Wong-Ling: (He summons another Danku, shielding himself, once again, from the devastating impact of her attack. In the fraction of a second between her attack and his defense, he contemplates her strategy and her abilities.) Inner-monologue: None of her actions thus far make sense to me. She has combustible capabilities while using her zanpakuto, but can also pass through matter. At least, that’s how it appeared. Her zanpakuto enables her to dematerialize and leave unscathed, despite the ferocity and strength of my kido. I need to find a method for counter this, but how can I counter an ability I still do not understand. (Captain Wong-Ling’s concentration is abruptly shattered when her eiku boomerangs toward him, colliding with the danku-barrier. It produces a violent explosion, delivering minor cracks to the barrier. He immediately retreats, knowing he is no longer safe behind that technique. In the seconds following her attack, he is struck by tremendous inspiration and cops a smile. He flash-steps toward her, using his blade to keep her at bay). If you can’t get your hands on your zanpakuto, you have no power. You shouldn’t be so careless, throwing your zanpakuto and placing vast distance between you. )

Traea: (she dodges his strikes, but he manages to slice into her shoulder, prompting her to kick him in the face, before flash-stepping backwards). Distance is nothing to those who have will enough to defy it.

Captain Wong-Ling: (He watches her throw her hand out, her veins and muscles tensing as she wills her zanpakuto from the ground. He quickly prepares a kido-assault, determined to exterminate this threat) Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired. Hado 91: Senjū Kōten Taihō!

Traea: (Her eiku zooms past Captain Wong-Ling, who follows with a powerful kido. Several pink energy spears dart at her, right as she clutches her zanpakuto tightly in her hand). Kijun zahyo (She whispers, while defiantly staring down the kido about to decimate her. The energy collides with her body, generating an explosion of limited proportion).

Captain Wong-Ling: Impossible…she managed to reduce the strength of my level 91 kido? Or did she pass through it again?

Traea: (when the smoke clears, she stands tall, but her face-plate has been damaged, chipped partially on the side, displaying a portion of her cheek. As she speaks, the piece crumbles and falls to the ground)…you should have foregone the incantation, captain.

Captain Wong-Ling: (He can’t help but be angered by her mysterious advantage, but is pleased to see he damaged a portion of her identity, the face plate) I have to say, Traea, I didn’t expect this level of resistance. But, honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised. Why not remove the face plate. Its usefulness has been compromised.

Traea: You managed to damage my armor and you believe that warrants such confident requests? You’re more of a fool than I thought. My appearance will remain hidden. Unless you can pry it off my face it will remain where it is. But you have bigger concerns, captain. You’re nearing complete exhaustion. I recommend you play whatever trump cards you may have. But don’t expect them to serve you better than a simple method for delaying the inevitable.

[Immaterial and Premordial Power]

Hsien-Shao took a deep breath and relaxed his body once again, allowing his adrenaline to fade. When he completely relaxed, he opened his eyes again and smiled.

“This fake countenance again?” Traea said scathingly before he could even speak. Hsien-Shao raised an eyebrow.

“So rude.” He muttered mostly to himself before shaking his head. “The action is more for my benefit than others. I suppose you could say it is my own ‘mask’, only more fragile, yet more sturdy from yours in many ways. Perhaps you should try smiling? Even if no one can see it, at least it would have an impact on your perspective of things.”

“Does your ‘mask’ always mean more nonsense that spills from your mouth? Stalling is pointless—your demise is ensured.”

“Yes, you did speak of fate before. You also said that you need not worry about the dragon’s fangs or claws as neither can reach you. Allow me to show you why no gallant knight had ever thought of that possibility so many years before now.”

Hsien-Shao took his battle stance once more, this time with his sword in hand, "Descend from the heavens and raze the earth, Tiānlóng.”

His spiritual pressure raged around him furiously, whipping about as if it could not be controlled. Traea’s eyes narrowed as she saw the silhouette of a fierce Chinese dragon form in the brilliant hue of gold and white. It charged toward her and she swung her eku around skillfully to intercept it. An explosion scattered the reishi from her, dispersing it uselessly, leaving Traea unharmed as she kept her gaze on Hsien-Shao, who watched the dissipating energy with a sigh.

“Normally people just evade it instead of using the energy to destroy something so symbolic.”

“I thought you were going to use some sort of trick. It would be just like you.”

Hsien-Shao shrugged indifferently, holding his sword up in the same combat stance as before.

“Well then, my dear hellion. Shall we continue?”

As Traea didn’t answer, Hsien-Shao simply descended to the ground with shunpo and raised his sword up above him. Clouds began to gather at a quick pace, darkening the sky.

“Yìnglóng.” Hsien-Shao murmured as thunder cracked and rain began pouring from the skies. Traea gripped her eku as Hsien-Shao appeared directly in front of her, swinging his sword. She blocked and parried with the shaft of her eku, swirling it so one end would knock into his open side.

“Shénlóng.”

It happened so fast that it appeared to happen in the same instant that the name was spoken. A large pillar of lighting taking on the form of a bearded dragon dropped from the clouds with a loud crack of lightning, hitting both of them at once. Traea gritted her teeth as it numbed every fiber of her body, making it nearly impossible to complete the swing. The strike wasn’t meant to damage her—simply immobilize her, as Hsien-Shao was within the blast as well. Since she couldn’t advance, she was forced to retreat out of the lighting. No sooner had she done so than Hsien-Shao’s blade thrust through the light after her and nearly slashed off her mask.

“I see your priorities are set.” Traea muttered as the lightning faded, showing an unscathed Hsien-Shao. He grinned at her.

“Oh? Am I that transparent? Actually, that was a spur of the moment decision to even attempt that. I merely wanted to give you a little shock.”

“You couldn’t have been trying.”

“True enough. Please pardon the minor lack of conviction. I will commence to destroy you along with the landscape forthwith.”

With that, Hsien-Shao pointed his sword out at her.

“Shénlóng.”

Traea was prepared for it this time. She vanished before he could even finish the name, darting toward him. Lightning smashed into the ground where she was a moment before, scorching it relentlessly. Hsien-Shao received the strike from Traea’s eku with the blade of his sword without any hesitation.

“Huánglóng.” He said just as their weapons connected. A massive dragon of horns and spikes that hid its own body sprouted from his blade almost like magic and the explosion from Traea’s sword only harmed this figure, though all of its spiked scales protected it from the majority of the damage and it ensured to attempt to bury the angel in a forest of lacerations. Traea appeared atop of the dragon immediately, eku in both her hands, and slammed it onto where its head would be. The explosion that followed was devastating, causing the entire mass to shudder before falling to the ground like a rag doll. It began to fade away as if it were nothing and Traea whirled around to evade the well-aimed slash of Hsien-Shao’s sword as he appeared beside her. She swung at him in an immediate counter-attack and evaded with a fluid movement, ducking beneath the strike.

“Yìnglóng.”

A forceful geyser sprouted from all the water gathered from the rain and slammed into Traea’s side, sending her high into the air. She slashed with her eku once again and an explosion scattered the geyser around her. Hsien-Shao spun on finger as he smiled up at her and all the water droplets gathered above her, forming a massive dragon that opened its maw as it slammed down into Traea, who braced herself. The collision brought her down into the ground with a loud crash in the grass, leaving another crater. Traea rose from the crater grimacing. Her entire body was sore from the force of the water dragon. She couldn’t imagine how much pressure it had been under to make such a well-shaped form and immobilize her until she hit the ground.

“You aren’t famed for having one of the most chaotic zanpakutou in vain.” Traea said as she climbed easily out of the crater to face Hsien-Shao. He chuckled.

“Please. You’ve yet to see anything.”

“But I am confused. After all the high leveled kido you used, you go straight in with a kido based zanpakutou. This recklessness either means you are even stupider than I imagined, or you have some trump card you have confidence in.”

“If the latter were true, I obviously would not tell you. And as for the former—well, I have no idea what you think of me, so I cannot answer that either. But I will tell you one thing—you are mistaken about my zanpakutou. I do not simply use kido to control the nature around me and create dragon forms to attack you. That would be incredibly…imprudent. It’s something much more abstract.”

Hsien-Shao held his sword up and said another name under his breath. Traea immediately chucked her eku at him to smash into the head of a horned dragon that charged toward her, decimating it entirely, and she shot forward, grabbing her eku’s handle as she passed. She swung down at Hsien-Shao and he evaded quickly, jumping to avoid to explosion. Traea kicked out fiercely, catching Hsien-Shao in the gut and knocking him back. He caught himself quickly and retreated further as Traea swung at him again, intending to keep him from a moment’s rest. Seeing this, Hsien-Shao ceased his retreat and kept close to her, careful not to let the eku’s paddles hit him as he swung his sword in a uniform motion. Traea slashed around the ground around him suddenly and Hsien-Shao jumped high enough to tuck his legs in to avoid the explosions once more, positioning himself horizontally in order to kick out fiercely with both his legs. Traea blocked with her eku’s shaft, skidding back, and Hsien-Shao backflipped quickly as he called out, “Shénlóng”. A fierce blast fell from the sky once more onto Traea, the power multiplied infinitely. The dirt was completely destroyed and the bedrock beneath it was shredded from the force of the blast. Before Hsien-Shao could feel any sort of triumph in the feat, he spotted Traea high above him, holding her eku in her hand to throw it once more. It sailed down toward him with intense speed and an enormous explosion erupted right beside the crater Hsien-Shao had created, enveloping him in the blast. When the debris and dust faded, it showed a large stone dragon curled with its head toward the sky, its body chipped in several placed but still whole. Traea’s eku was embedded into its long curling form, leaving a large crack. She landed beside it and drew it from the stone as she glared down the center of the spiraling stone. There was a sizable hole right in the center with no Hsien-Shao to be found.

“That ability to go through attacks is a pain.” Traea whirled around to see Hsien-Shao a good distance from her standing right in front of a gaping hole similar to the one behind her. “Fúcánglóng.”

The earth began to tremble beneath their feet and Traea grimaced as she felt the ground beneath her begin to shift. A massive fissure was forming below her and she retreated several steps as it grew larger and larger, spewing heat from it. Steam rose at once and she knew that the rain was hitting lava below. No sooner had she realized that than it happened—large spurts of magma shot from the fissure into the air, landing on the grass and starting fires. She made to turn and face Hsien-Shao, but the earth beneath suddenly shifted again, disabling her movement. The entire ground beneath her rose like a diagonal plate, making her lose her footing to fall toward the lava. Traea glared at the shackles of earth that had formed from the stone dragon she was on and encased her feet firmly. The entire structure was going to sink in the magma.

Traea raised her eku above her and spun it a few times before slamming it into the statue of the dragon beneath her, shattering it to pieces along with the rest of the plate of earth she was on. The earth crumbled and fell to the bottom of the fissure without her. Traea stood on the grass facing Hsien-Shao with one hand gripping her eku and the other holding her face, covering everything so that only her furious sapphire eyes could glare at Hsien-Shao. The remains of her face plate laid across the ground at her feet in several pieces, having been blown off by none other than herself. Hsien-Shao simply shrugged back at her as he drew one hand through his dark ponytail, his dark brown eyes alight from the sparks from the flames surrounding them. Not a trace of his old smile could be found. His expression had been replaced by a calm and grave man that had only been reflected in those eyes until now.

Sorry I've been gone for so long, guys. Things came up. Things I'd rather forget and not talk about. But I'm glad to be back.

Nice to see you back, Arcane. You up to speed with the recent happenings?

Not at all.

Need any quick explanations? I would be perfectly happy to update you...

Isishio spiraled through darkness. Muffled sound and pain writhed around him, his zanpakuto's spirit beside him. She herself was bruised and pale, with a smell of caustic chemicals lingering around her. He gathered what inner stength he had and scounged over to her and took her hand. It burned his and opened her eyes. The pain was unbarible, but he would not let go. He heard his own faint heartbeat and felt her faint spiritual pressure connecting to his. He remembered Yua and Ms. Kija, the pain they both sustained...because he couldn't do his job. Because he wasn't strong enough. Because he let his feelings cloud his judgement. He heard in his deepest consiousness small bites of sound, piecing together what he could of recent events. Mikazuki...bless her. He opened his mouth and spoke to Ketsueki.

Isishio: Do you...think this is...the end of the line?

Ketsueki: Not yet, Ezretha. There's still a damsel for you...to save. But I don't think you'll have me for that....

Isishio: I can't do that. You'll be ok. You have to be. Ketsueki, don't leave me...

Ketsueki: You're fading, Ezretha...

(A surge of Isishio's energy flows into Ketsueki, starting to heal her cuts and bruises)

Isishio: YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, NEITHER AM I! WE'VE GOT A JOB TO DO, AND I'M NOT LETTING YOU PUSS OUT ON ME WHEN WE'VE COME SO FAR! START LISTENING TO YOUR OWN DEVICE! NOW!...

(He springs up from his hospital bed, snatching the eyes of those in the room)

Isishio: It's showtime! (he feels the strange presences among the soul society) ...Did I...miss something?

Yua glides quietly through the squad four barracks going room to room and checking her patient’s current conditions. Having this many to take care of was beginning to feel all too frequent during this dreadful time of war. She comes to the first door and enters to find a bandaged Zurui sitting up in bed, and was not surprised that he was about to get out of it. She starts walking up next to his bed, crossing her arms in front of her.

“Hey, where are you off to?” She asked sternly to make him realize he was caught.

Unperturbed, Zurui nods in greeting and swings his legs over the side to plant both feet in the floor. He then stands up stiffly and looks at her. “How are the others doing?”

She softened at his concern. “I am checking on them but last I saw they were resting.” She tilted her head. “Will you answer my question please?”

“My feeling is that I have spent enough time here thinking and now I should act. So I liked to be getting back to my barracks. This latest fight has gotten concerning and I think it should be monitored.”

She dropped her arms and was going to object but she feels the massive waves of spiritual pressure grow more intense.

“You have been strangely compliant during your stay,” She gave him a small smile. “I’m sure you suffered through it long enough.”

“Huh, I thought I would be met with a little more resistance.”

Yua gently makes him sit back on his bed and began to take off the cloth wrapped around his torso. As she unravels she goes and takes note of his recovery. The newly healed skin on his chest was smooth and looked healthy in color. Her eyes roam to his stomach, shoulder and back that had received slash wounds thoroughly and found not a mark.

“Please don’t misunderstand, Zurui. Even though I grant you freedom I ask you to use it cautiously. You are fit to go, but I don’t want to see you coming back in here.”

“There’s no need to worry about that, Yua.” He winks when she was finished and reaches over to pull on his fresh captain’s haori. Zurui stood up, flexing his back and rolling his shoulders in small circles, not a sign of discomfort was shown during the slow movements. Feeling in him only the release of tension as the muscles loosen and relax. He smiles and turns to her. “Thank you.”

“And I thank you for trying to help.” Her face fell into a frown.

Zurui shook his head at this. “Well, I couldn’t stand by and let the fool get killed.”

“I know… and for your troubles I am so sorry.” Her lips trembled.

“....”

“…The injuries you experienced and those from Kakura-”

“-He was just overcome by his emotions.” His voice was low and his eyes grew hard.

Yua bleakly remembered the last time Kakura showed his emotions to her and her frown deepened. “Is that your excuse?” She whispered.

Zurui sighs. “Look, I’m fine now. And I’m sure that what happened was just a one-time incident.”

“I hope you are right.”

She stands up slowly and follows Zurui out of the room. As they rounded a corner the hallway was almost empty, just a couple of nurses are seen going back and forth.

Zurui doesn’t notice them though as his furrowed gaze is drawn to a far doorway protected by a luminous kido screen. He cocked an eyebrow at Yua. “Is that really necessary?”

“It’s not going to be forever, just until he calms down.” She looks at the door unhappily.

He frowned. “After you look in on the others, he’s next?” Silence met his ears. “Yua?”

“…Of course.”

“Well, I don’t want to keep you any longer,” He bows before taking his leave.

Yua bows her snowy head. “Take care.”

Once he was out of sight Yua takes another sad look at the lit doorframe and moved on to the next room. Inside was Teiko awake and lightly bandaged, staring at his gleaming sword that lay across his lap. On the other side of the room was a lightly snoring Quidel.

“How are you feeling?” She came around to sit at the foot of Teiko’s bed.

His eyes had a distant shine in them. “Okay, I guess.”

She didn’t like that look so she scooted closer. “Then this will make you feel a lot better.” Yua takes his hand and pulls lightly to make him sit up more. He sheathes his blade and places it on the table next to him then his dark blue eyes turn to the fourth squad captain looking over him. With a slow sweep of her hands she began soothing over the few red areas left on his skin with the glowing rays of healing kido.

“When will you allow me to leave here?”

“These are looking good so it will be very soon.”

He nods and the dim light in his eyes began to spark and blaze. “Good.”

“Teiko, you will have another chance at her. It just wasn’t your time.”

“I was too eager and I let emotion get the better of me.” His hands clenched into fists. “Simply looking at her made my blood boil.”

“Now you know to not let that happen again. You will grow from the encounter.” her soft voice was reassuring as she kept her eyes focused on her work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(more to come tomorrow)

Hey, great post Silverain... And great dialogue as well. XD

I enjoyed reading that Silverain! I'll have a post up sometime within the next few hours.

[The Dam Breaks; Anger Floods in]

Nagaishi sat solemnly in his quarters, sighing quietly, and folding his arms. He sat back against the wall, the candlelight flickering and crackling around him. He said nothing, although his thoughts were crowding and suffocating him in his mind. He himself had known who had killed Mikazuki, and he had felt responsible for her death. He had never really been good with others, nor had he ever wanted to, but with her death, a certain feeling crept into his mind and kept him from thinking straight. He had to pinch himself constantly to keep thoughts of her from entering his mind. As he sat, he began to wonder, just what Arizel was like. He had a goal, just like all of the Shirub did. But Arizel had always seemed very... Distant, somehow. He seemed more passive about everything, and yet eerily serious about exacting revenge. Arizel had always been that way. For as long as Nagaishi had seen him around while he himself fought the Espada, Arizel had worn an expression of disconnection and annoyance. Nagaishi had always thought that to be a bit strange, even for him, but had never thought more about until this point.

Arizel had been waiting to Defect and relinquish his position. Silently and secretly looking forward to it, just like all of them had been. Nagaishi could indeed understand their anger at having their race practically pull a vanishing act at the hand of the Seireitei, but it was just that he could not understand what was supposed to come after that.

"What about after they get what they want?" he muttered silently to himself. "What about when they finally achieve their goal? What will they do?"

Would they relish in their victory for eons, until it finally repeats itself? Or perhaps, they would lead pointless and empty lives after fulfilling their goal. Finding a new dream after the success of the previous one is always hard.

Nagaishi had loved only one person before Mikazuki, and she had been murderously and grotesquely taken from him. Now, the same had happened, and once again, he had been powerless to stop it. Not only that, but Nagaishi hadn't even told her. The first time, at the very least he had the gumption to say what he felt, but after years of seclusion and hatred towards others, he had all but sewn his mouth and heart shut.

For the first time in several centuries he had found someone, and yet again they were taken from him. He had found a new dream, and it had been shattered. Nagaishi gritted his teeth and pulled his knees to his chest, siting that way for several hours. As his sadness broke and peeled away to form anger, he slammed his fist into the wall several times, causing small cracks to form within.

"Dammit." he whispered, his voice shaking. "Damn you, Arizel. Damn you, Shirub."

Nagaishi slumped down, hanging his head. He leaned back, placing his hands on the floor for support, and leveled his head with the wall parallel to the one he was near. He narrowed his eyes to slits. He stared at the shadows for what seemed like forever, and sighed after some time. His anger, still imminent in the air around him, was thick and tangible. It created a large barrier around him, and as he himself knew, it would last a long, long time. It too 400 years for the last one he had put up to vanish on the spot. Perhaps it would take 800 the next time. As he sat heavily on his bed, he removed his Haori and hung it neatly on the wall by the foot of the bed. And he lay awake, staring at it, for a long, long time.

It disgusted him, to be quite honest. Having to wear a Haori that belonged to that WITCH. It sickened him, right down to his rotten, dried up core. He was fuming all right, waiting for his chance. He would get Arizel and make him pay for what he had done.

Make him pay, not only for what he had done for Mikazuki, but for what he had done to Nagaishi. A second time.

[Grim Beauty]
[BEGIN PLAYING MUSIC]
Traea: (The rumbles of conflict echo across the battlefield, shattering the once serene atmosphere. In the center of this struggle stands a woman exposed, clutching tightly to the last remnants of her symbolic shield. Having slain the dragon, she has sacrificed her identity and revealed all that she has strived to conceal. Beauty, majestic and ethereal beauty!)

Captain Wong-Ling: (His eyes slowly widen as he glimpses, for the first time, onto a face of unparalleled loveliness. He searches her face, hoping to find a scar, a blemish, but nothing. He sees nothing but perfection, which baffles him. He cannot fathom why she shielded her face or why it was so important.)

Traea: ( She slowly slides her hand across her face, allowing the final fragment of her mask to fall to the ground. As it shatters, the perceived sound is deafening in contrast to the endless silence brought upon by her face.)

Captain Wong-Ling: (He spots the symbol on the side of her left temple, but he cannot determine what it means. Inspiration strikes him similar to the lightning produced by his dragon. He carefully inspects the rare symbol, ᶋ ,that brands her delicate and majestic face.) You’re number three…aren’t you?

Traea: Keenly observed, captain. And now you know, both my rank and my appearance. I bet you’re awfully proud of this accomplishment.

Captain Wong-Ling: (He is speechless, unable to generate an appropriate response. He’s never felt this sensation before, but considering the circumstances, he’s willingly accepts it.) Inner-monologue: Why would she hide…such beauty? I don’t understand.

Traea: What has you so silent, captain? Is my appearance that disturbing? No, it cannot be that. You’re likely pondering my motives. You can’t imagine someone of my likeness obscuring their face.

Captain Wong-Ling: I can’t fathom your motives, Traea. Tell me, what had you choose such a secretive ensemble?

Traea: Choose (she scoffs softly, focusing her eyes on Hsien-Shao while her golden hair flows in the breeze)? Self-rule is a right not all individuals are afforded. I being one of them. It was selected for me by those who plan on violating me. Choice was never an option.

Captain Wong-Ling: (Puzzled by her words, he listens intently, trying not to let her beauty distract him).

[REPLAY SONG]

Traea: When you look like I do, people want to dismiss you, place you beneath them simply as a result of your appearance. That doesn’t change in times of war, it only becomes intensified. Your people accosted me. They attempted to abuse me, but not before they successfully removed my family from existence. (She speaks softly, but boldly, her words dripping with hatred) Men…you’re all the same. You give me the same dumbfounded expression as the others. That’s why I wear this mask. When I have it on, no one has any reason to dismiss me. All they see is cold, austere metal and my blade’s edge.

Captain Wong-Ling: Are you saying members of the Gotei 13 tried to…

Traea: “Tried” is the operative word, captain. Five men killed my family and then they came for me, berating me as they wiped my family’s blood from their blades. Their smugness didn’t last long, not while their heads rolled across the ground like freshly gathered pumpkins. As I severed their heads, in quick succession, I saw the regret swell in their eyes. They knew I was superior and if only they hadn’t dismissed me, they may have managed to escape with their lives. It’s a rather morbid anecdote, but it certainly has symbolic value.

Captain Wong-Ling: (His expression shifts to disgust, shaken by the words slipping from such an ethereal beauties mouth). You’re much more lost than I previously imagined.

Traea: (She grips her eiku tightly, dismissing his words with her cold, sinister glare). I hope you don’t fall prey to the same fatal miscalculations as your ancestors. You’ll know if you do…because in the fraction of a second before my blade cleaves through your spine, you’ll express the same unyielding regret they did (She recites this grim warning without fluctuating her expression, maintaining absolute composure).
Captain Wong-Ling: (He tries to shrug-off her warning, but is disturbed by the lack of hesitation in her voice).

Traea: From this point on…neither your fangs nor your claws will touch me.

Captain Wong-Ling: (His fighting spirit triumphantly surges to the forefront, in response to her defiance of his skill). We will see, won’t we, my dear? (He hesitates for a moment, choosing to add further to his retort) I realize now that your rank demands I hold nothing back, and I…(he is abruptly cut-off by her shocking assault. She breaks through his sensory skills, swinging her eiku into his body. Her swift movements negate all his efforts, throwing him into the ground with tremendous force. He bursts from the ground, soaring high into the sky. He darts at her, but not before releasing a well-staged attack) Yìnglóng! (With those words, Hsien-Shao summons a spiraling torrent of water from the sky. It bolts across the sky with intense ferocity, but something peculiar happens).

Traea: (She firmly stands her ground, perched high in the air. She watches calmly as the roaring streams of water approach her. They crash upon her from both sides, but neither physically touches her body. She stares at Captain Wong-Ling as the water seems to dissipate in the space around her). Like I said, neither will touch me.

Captain Wong-Ling: What...did you do? (His attacks from earlier were able to reach her, but suddenly she has begun to use this mysterious technique. The water not only missed her, but completely evaporated) Inner-monologue: That water evaporated…no. It was different. I can’t even summon the water from that direction anymore, I can sense it. It’s as though it vanished from this world (He summons more water from the ground, hoping to catch her off-guard. He watches as the raging waters take flight, each streaming torrent moments from her body. They strike her, allowing him to marvel in his success. As the water collides with her, he sees her eiku hurtling toward him. He leaps to the left, but a massive object strikes him in the gut, sending him hurtling in a hill-side, triggering an explosion of great magnitude. He unearths himself from the rubble, clutching his stomach tightly, as blood pools on his clothing). I dodged that Eiku…how’d it still hit me from that direction?

Traea: (She leaps down, grabs her eiku and darts toward him, ready to bring her eiku slamming into his body)

Captain Wong-Ling: Huánglóng (he shouted in desperation, summoning the massive, blade-scaled beast. It bursts from his blade, bearing its fangs as its spikes reach outward, hoping to skewer Traea. He watches in complete dismay as the dragon is swallowed by the air-itself, dissipating into nothingness, like all the others. He quickly flash-steps from sight, but her swing was too quick, catching his back as he leapt swiftly into the air).

Traea: (she halted her movements, and seemed to be resting from exhaustion. She looks up at a weary Hsien-Shao, and witnesses his baffled expression.)

Captain Wong-Ling: Inner-monologue: She is tiring herself out, too. That last technique, whatever it was and whatever it did, placed stress on her body. I’m in no position to talk, though. She’s tougher than I ever thought she would be. If I can’t land a single attack…I’m in serious trouble. I don’t want help, but I may need to swallow my pride and accept it.

Traea: You’re awfully skilled at evading my techniques, I will provide you that.

Captain Wong-Ling: The same honor may be given to you, too. I will revoke it in moments, however.

Traea: (she stands tall, staring at the captain with a loathing gaze). No, I don’t believe so. You will continue to watch as the sky and earth swallow your dragons. You’re nothing but an appetizer to Usoda.

Captain Wong-Ling: You’ve had luck on your side, that’s all.

Traea: You don’t expect me to believe you place faith in luck? No, your fear is what fuels your uncharacteristic words. It must be unsettling to watch the sky, a dragon’s domain, swallow him whole, betraying that bond.

Captain Wong-Ling: Shénlóng! (He watches as the bearded dragon descended from the sky with might and speed, but strikes the ground, leaving her unharmed.) Impossible! You avoided even Shénlóng?

Traea: (She abruptly vanishes, appearing to his left.) Kijun Sansho.

Captain Wong-Ling: Shénlóng! (He demands the presence of his lightning dragon, hoping to catch her off-guard. The majestic light surges from the sky above, striking the space before him. Before he can determine whether his attack was a success, he is struck from behind, sending him flying into the pillar of light. He flies through the air, trying with all his might to catch himself. He manages to collect Reiatsu beneath his feet and stop his movements, but as he recovers Traea’s eiku smashes into his bed, sending him on a collision course with the hill-side. He strikes the colossal stone-structure, producing a large cavity in its exterior. As he lifts himself from the rubble, he can sense his broken rib. A sharp pain surges throughout his body, but he cannot take a moment’s break, otherwise she’ll capitalize on it.)

Traea: Why not use that earth-style technique, captain? It’s the only one you haven’t repeated. I question why? Perhaps, in theory, it doesn’t affect those who remain separated from the ground? It’d be a reasonable assumption, wouldn’t you say?

Captain Wong- Ling: Hado 63: Raikōhō!

Traea: (The lightning explodes from the hill-side, cracking and shattering surfaces just from its initial release. It screeches toward her, crackling as it spreads through the sky. As it reaches her, it begins to dissipates, melting into the air. Captain Wong-Ling appears below, summoning raging water. It ascends, clutching at Traea’s body. She simply stands in the same space, watching as it passes by her). Your aim is poor, captain.

Captain Wong-Ling: (He doesn’t know how to respond because the events that have transpired are illogical to him.) Inner-monologue: This doesn’t make any sense. How is she avoiding my techniques without even moving? I see them strike her, but then, they really haven’t. Does her zanpakuto affect my senses? Can she distort them on such a level? (He watches as she glares at him. He can’t help but feel remorse for her. She’s hardened and cold from war and to such a beautiful woman. Her beauty is in dark contrast to the aura she radiates, he thinks, as he inspects her face). May I inquire why you chose violence over forgiveness?

Traea: You speak of absolution (she responds calmly).

Captain Wong-Ling: Wouldn’t it have been easier?

Traea: Absolution is the most powerful form of forgiveness. It purifies the sinner, promises rebirth, and the chance to escape the transgression of those who came before us. It’s a full pardon from suspicion and accountability. It’s a liberation of a stolen future. A future my family never lived to see. Absolution is a mercy the people who killed them will never know. If the people I’ve come to bring justice to cannot be bound by the quest for absolution, then neither will I (She dives at him, swinging her eiku, just as he leaps into the distance. The swing generates a massive stream of energy that reverberates through the sky. He lunges at him again with undefiable speed, prompting him to begin a volley of kido in an effort to stop her. She simply passes through the sea of kido, unharmed, while the captain watches his attacks dissolve in the sky).

Captain Wong-Ling: Come at me! (She nears the ground, where he stands) Fúcánglóng! (The ground rumbles as it shifts beneath his feet as a mighty stone dragon unearthed itself from below.)

Traea: (Her eyes narrow as she looks upon the stone behemoth, prompting her to twirl her eiku and stab it directly in the head of the dragon, sending a surge of energy through its body. Its body fractures, crumbling as the energy attempts to break-free from its rocky shell. She pulls her Eiku from its head and flash-steps further away. It approaches her). Kijun Sansho. (The dragon soars past her as she stares at Captain Wong-Ling. She immediately bolts far into the sky, distancing herself from the ground-below).

Captain Wong-Ling: I almost got you that time.

Traea: Trust me, captain, you will not reach me (as she finishes her sentence, a blast of blue-flames tear through the sky, aimed at her face. They seem to melt-away just before striking her. The uncouth actions of Captain Wong-Ling do not phase the angel. She simply stares at him, waiting for his next move).

Captain Wong-Ling: Answer me a simple question before I decimate your defense.

Traea: Decimate? What an audacious and presumptuous threat.

Captain Wong-Ling: Aren’t all threats as much?

Traea: Only baseless threats. A true threat is one of peremptory.

Captain Wong-Ling: (he shrugs off her comment) Why do you call yourselves angels?

Traea: (She stares at him with a level of intrigue, surprised by his question) I will concede, I did not expect you to resort to trite questioning.

Captain Wong-Ling: So, you’re saying the title, “angel,” is nothing more than a trite pseudonym?

Traea: Hardly. I was merely jesting at the steady decline of your questioning. To answer your question, angels have always symbolized the dichotomy between right and wrong. In stories, angels only ever appear in the final moments to render judgment and deliver retribution.

Captain Wong-Ling: You’ve distorted a safe, peaceful symbol for your own twisted vengeance. That’s crude and unconscionable. In truth, angels were and never will represent what you desire them to.

Traea: Truth is a battle of perceptions. People only see what they are prepared to confront. It’s not what you look at that matters, but what you see. And when two perceptions battle each other, the truth has a way of getting lost. And the monsters find a way of getting out.

Captain Wong-Ling: Tsk. Your sick logic again. You’re right about one thing, though. Despite your beauty, you and your colleagues are monsters (As he speaks those words, she throws her Eiku toward him, forcing him to retreat into the air as a result of the explosion. When he finally ceases his flash-step, she catches him in the chest with her Eiku, shattering two ribs. He flew through the sky, crashing near a distant body of water).

Traea: (She looks down at him, delivering a wicked gaze. Though she does not smile, her eyes express satisfaction). Angels forced from heaven automatically become demons. They become corrupted by the very entity that plucked them from their home. Shirubaraito was our heaven, and for that, you will suffer.

[Revolving Tactics]

“You may want to change your name to ‘Fallen Angels’.”

Traea watched dully as a massive water dragon sprouted from the lake, flying at her with its jaws wide open. The entire mass vanished into the air as if running into an invisible vacuum, leaving her unharmed. Hsien-Shao stood directly in front of her, smiling once again.

“Angels are incapable of negative emotions,” Hsien-Shao went on with a laughing tone. “And you look at me with so much malice that I might think you actually hate me! In fact, for you to call yourselves an angel while refuting the ideal of absolution is the best joke I have heard all day!”

“Did I scramble your brains with that last blow?” Traea asked coldly. Hsien-Shao chuckled.

“No, no, you just broke a few ribs, nothing too major. I will admit to a few things. You truly are a gem. I might have mistaken you for a real angel had you not already drawn much of my blood. And honestly, your fate does not entirely surprise me. In a world where men only takes lives and see fields of blood, a gem such as yourself is what keeps them from losing all sanity. Mistreating you is, of course, unforgivable, but understandable all the same.”

“You always find a way to explain the past actions of your people.” Traea spat darkly. “Are you that unwilling to look at your people as they truly are?”

“Truth is a cruel mistress.” Hsien-Shao shrugged out of his robes, slipping off both his haori and he black top of his hakama, leaving his chest bare. His entire breast was covered in blood and discoloration in his skin was visible all over from his bruises. “Do you want to know what the ultimate, undeniable truth is? Pain. Physical or mental, it’s all the same. The moment someone or something runs into a force that affects them in a bad manner, they feel pain. And in response to it, their emotions boil and they attempt to lash out at whoever hurts them. You are a prime example. You went through the mental trauma of seeing your people killed and were accosted by men, and so you begrudge us and attempt to affect us with the same pain you felt. It’s incredibly childish and primitive.”

“‘Primitive’?” Traea repeated, eyes narrowing. Hsien-Shao chuckled once more.

“Don’t worry; we’re not different. In an attempt to avoid the pain that you offer, we struggle to stop you with all our efforts. In a way, our actions are a little bit worse, since it is indeed hypocritical from this point of view. But primitive thinking does not take things like ‘justice’ and ‘right’ into account.”

“You have lost your sanity.” Traea muttered as she stood beside Hsien-Shao, swinging her eku out at him suddenly. Hsien-Shao moved with the swing, grabbing her hand as he jumped up, not putting any pressure against her swing. Traea was surprised to see him doing a handstand with his hand on hers, his face not an inch from hers.

“Of course I have,” He said softly with a grin. “The gem is currently trying to kill me right now, is she not?”

Traea glared as she grabbed his wrist with her free hand and pulled him down, swinging the eku around to smash into his body.

“Dìlóng.”

A massive dragon of rock shot in a straight line from the ground and swallowed Hsien-Shao into its body. The eku exploded against the surface of the rock but as it crumbled to pieces, Hsien-Shao was not within it.

“I’m quite disappointed however.” Hsien-Shao said Traea spotted him below her, standing on the ground with his gaze toward her. “If the sky and earth swallow the dragon, and only the dragon of the earth holds any chance of affecting you, then that means I cannot affect you with simple energy. ‘Tis such a pity. To have so much beauty and yet hate it so much… After seeing that face of yours, I really would prefer to finish this without scarring it, but you’re leaving me little choice, my dear.”

“You mean to say you’ve been holding something back, despite all this chaos?” Traea asked scathingly. “Or is this another façade?”

“Well, I was planning to use a little trick to shake you up, but it will only confuse you enough to make you watch my attacks more closely, at best. So instead, I’m resorting to something a little more barbaric.”

Hsien-Shao sheathed his sword in the sheath that came with his shikai and clenched his fists in front of him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Shénlóng.” He said calmly. Traea barely batted an eyelash at the lightning that fell toward her.

“Kijun Sansho.” She said as she was bathed in the light. The forceful blast vanished into the air around her, but before it could be completely taken, she felt something within the wild energy aiming for her. She sidestepped just in time to avoid a blunt object that aimed for her head, her shoulder taking the hit instead. She went flying into the ground like a rocket, smashing through the flames hard enough that the dirt below her flew up and extinguished them. Traea frowned as she saw Hsien-Shao standing in the air above, holding his combat stance. He’d hid himself in his zanpakutou’s attack, which had identical spiritual energy, making it impossible to distinguish except for a moment. He was planning on using his zanpakutou’s energy as a cover for his martial arts, though she hadn’t expected him to be able to use it without wielding it in his hand.

“Wrong.” Hsien-Shao said suddenly as he saw her expression. “Wrong, wrong, wrong.”

“What are you on about now?” Traea demanded furiously. With the pounding rain above, the loud crackling of flames burning down the fields around them, and her deep hatred for this man, her patience was wearing extremely thin.

“Don’t you assume for a second that I’m going to throw attacks at you and charge through them to land strikes. When you assume, you’re just making an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’. Excuse the vulgar language.”

With that, Hsien-Shao shifted his body to face her horizontally, one fist in her direction, and vanished with a spark of energy. Traea evaded just in time to avoid the man as he smashed into the ground where she had been a moment before, creating a massive crater with the force of his punch. Hsien-Shao swung around immediately and threw a barrage of swift kick and punches that were charged with lightning, fire, and other elements that flew around his entire body. Traea blocked and struck out at him with her eku ferociously to counter his strikes. His combat skill had increased tenfold from before he released his shikai, but not because of the elements around him. The flames, sprouting pillars of rock, lightning, and even freezing snow that had been conjured up, all flowed into the sky and earth like a fluid machine. Both were tiring themselves out in a forceful bout with the intention to outlast the other, though neither knew what the other’s limit was, even as an estimate. But the moment an opening finally showed itself, both capitalized on it. Traea’s eku slammed into Hsien-Shao’s side as Hsien-Shao’s fist connected with the area just below her ribs, and both went flying back as if thrown as Traea’s eku exploded violently.

Hsien-Shao was breathing deeply as he pushed himself up. His entire right shoulder was red and singed from blast it had taken and it was shaking rather violently. He gripped it with one hand for a moment before it settled. He didn’t mind the flaring pain so long as he could still use the arm. It would be transitory.

Traea was on her knees, coughing mucus and water from her mouth ferociously. She hadn’t expected that punch to have been so forceful. It carried strength in it that didn’t match his physical state in the least. She considered it being his spiritual pressure, but that was just as unlikely. Perhaps he really was a dragon?
Traea scoffed at the thought as she pushed herself up with her eku, glaring at Hsien-Shao.

“I’ve had enough of this.” She said darkly as she advanced. “Your struggle is meaningless and yet you keep up this charade. Admit to your death, captain.”

“I’ll admit to it when it has happened.” Hsien-Shao replied slyly as he smiled shakily. “And I doubt it will come so soon.”

Traea twirled her eku through her fingers as she prepared to chuck it at him, then her eyes noticed the lack of a sword in his scabbard, though his arm was cleverly trying to hide it. Her eyes scanned the surroundings quickly before spotting a slight difference in the level of the ground directly before her. She swung her eku out and knocked Hsien-Shao sword from the ground, the earth that was covering it breaking away easily.

“I’ll commend you on your subtlety, captain.” She noted. “Considering your personality, you do quite well at using the chaos you create to your advantage.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Hsien-Shao chuckled. “Me? Subtle? If anything, I’m so obvious that people tend to overlook it. ‘The tree hidden in the forest’, you know. Fúcánglóng.”

The ground beneath Traea cracked and shattered to pieces, showing a pitfall of magma below. Hsien-Shao shot forward as well, both arms raised above him, clenched together.

“Shénlóng!”

As he swung down, a lightning bolt felt from above at Traea. She snorted as it began to divert away from where she stood, but instead it flew right into Hsien-Shao zanpakutou on the ground nearby, like it was a lightning rod. The blast fired from the tip of the sword, which was pointed at Traea, flying horizontally at her as they fell toward the magma below. Hsien-Shao watched as steam rose from the pity as the ground toppled into it, sighing under his breath. He couldn’t believe he had done something so drastic. He knew his zanpakutou would be completely unharmed from the magma, but getting it out would be problematic. He’d have to use kido to get to it, but he didn’t have enough energy as he was. He sighed as he turned toward where the vice-captain remained encaged. He’d have to free this boy first and then have the kido corps recover it. Being a captain always had it’s obnoxious technicalities.

Before Hsien-Shao could take a step, however, the sound of a blade whizzing through the air caught his ear and he swiftly flipped to the side, evading as a weapon shot through where he head had been a moment earlier, impaling itself deep in a tree. He winced as his wounds ached, but shock quickly numbed it. Was that…his zanpakutou?

Before he could even form the more important question in his head, he felt a blunt object slam into his back, followed by an explosion that send him in the opposite direction as his sword. Hsien-Shao winced as his back ached fiercely along with his shoulder, just to spite him. Traea advanced toward him, her beautiful face dark with rage. Hsien-Shao observed this with an expression of apprehension and surprise. The woman’s clothes weren’t even singed. She’d utilized the same trick as earlier to evade the damage, no doubt. She’d even gone through the trouble of taking his sword and trying to impale him with it. Hsien-Shao was in too much pain to even mention that to her.

“Your zanpakutou of destruction is more trouble than it’s worth.” Traea said as she held her eku above her as she stood over Hsien-Shao. “But in the end, the inferior is the only on his knees.”

Hsien-Shao grinned. “Seventy-five points.”

Traea shot back quickly as a large circle appeared below Hsien-Shao and her, retreating several feet.

“You’re getting closer—but I don’t think you’ll get it without any hints.” Hsien-Shao pushed himself up shakily with a chuckle. “So I’ll just tell you.”

Traea frowned at the circle below Hsien-Shao. Half of it was white, the other black, and the line between the two shades made them seem as if they were shaped like a pouch; wide and round on one end, and thin and pointed on the other end. A single dot of the opposing shade was within the wider part each color.

“That symbol…” She began slowly. “…is on your zanpakutou’s hilt, isn’t it?”

“The guard, to be exact.” Hsien-Shao nodded. “Before that, though, let me explain. My sword’s ability is not kido, though it’s a rational guess. My ability of the dragons is in strong opposition to demon magic. Now, as for this symbol: this is the Ying Yang symbol that constitutes a major philosophy within my country from life. We believe that all has its opposites. Good and evil. Right and wrong. Up and down. Right and left. It’s a fundamental principle that the mathematical term ‘reciprocal’ comes from. If it is not in balance, in regard to nature, disasters shall occur. Earthquakes, storms, floods, droughts...and even some disasters less directly related to the forces of nature, such as wars, or sickness. If a person’s Yin and Yang are out of balance, it can be quite a dilemma. In order to deal with that, there is a martial art style that helps maintain this balance and is good for your health.”

“You’re always meditating and obsessing over your martial arts.” Traea recalled grimly. For some reason, her body was aching more than it should have. Had she taken more damage than she thought? “I take it that it is the same?”

“Why is that?” Hsien-Shao prodded. Traea frowned, knowing he was just stalling. But she wanted to know what he was getting at.

“Your dragons affect your Yin Yang, I’m guessing. To create all this chaos, you unbalance Yin Yang, am I right?”

Hsien-Shao nodded. “Very perceptive. Yes; my fighting style invokes the power of Yang. In order to keep myself from being annihilated along with the landscape, I practice my martial arts to keep my balanced internally. Now he’s the part that you should understand. Of all the dragons I’ve invoked, I’ve never called upon Tiānlóng personally, have I? He’s a bit ‘different’ than the others. When used, instead of affecting the nature around him, he enters a person’s Yin Yang and tweaks it a bit. Sadly, this has very sad range, but is very effective.”

With that, Hsien-Shao pointed at Traea’s chest and she glanced down. A miniature symbol just like the one now fading from beneath Hsien-Shao’s feet had appeared on her chest and was spinning slowly. She tried to press a finger to it, but she only feet her own chest. It was as if it was a projection of light with no real substance.

“You say it’s not kido, but it’s just like a magic trick.” Traea muttered indifferently.

“I never said it wasn’t similar to one.” Hsien-Shao sighed as he resumed his combat stance. “From the looks of it, you find that to be quite benign.”

“I’ve yet to see how it is more than a mere bluff, yes.” Traea wasn’t fazed. With his sword so far away, he wasn’t going to be much of a match with his wounds. She might have been tired, but she was sure that one more direct hit from her eku would render him useless—

Traea suddenly doubled over and purged violently, mucus and blood spilling from her mouth suddenly. Her entire body flared up with something similar to a fever and her body felt extremely sore, all in a single moment. This is what he’d been stalling for?!

When used, instead of affecting the nature around him, he enters a person’s Yin Yang and tweaks it a bit.

Barely a moment on that symbol and it affected him this much?!

Hsien-Shao appeared in front of her and swung his leg out. She raised her eku to block it but was unable to take the force, and she flew back violently, sliding againt the ground and leaving a long rut in the ground in her wake. The moment she stopped, she turned on her side and gasped for air, her body suddenly deprived of it.

“It takes years of practice to learn the proper technique to combat something like this internally.” Hsien-Shao said calmly as he drew his sword from the tree and appeared a few yards from her swiftly. “And even if you did know how, you’d have to practice it every day in order to successfully fight it.”

“You think a sickness…can stop me?” Traea demanded as she forced herself up.

Hsien-Shao shook his head.

“Stop this. No medicine will help you and it will only get worse. You won’t last more than three days at best, and that is if you don’t push yourself by fighting.”

“Three days is more than long enough to kill you.” Traea swung her eku violently at him and Hsien-Shao calmly stepped back as he shifted to avoid the swings, frowning at her all the while.

“If you die…” He said slowly as he continued dodging. “Will you want your people to avenge you?”

“There won’t be a need to.” Traea hissed back.

“What I mean is, don’t you think that the people who wish to avenge would prefer that you live on peacefully? Starting a war over the dead isn’t something one would want done for them.”

“What would you know?” Traea demanded furiously. “You’ve led a happy, luxurious life and even became the dog of the Central 46 for your own gain. You don’t know anything about what it’s like to feel true pain.”

“Don’t I?” Hsien-Shao sighed mournfully. “I’ve seen countless men die, maybe as much as you. Perhaps they were not all innocent, and perhaps they may have deserved the death, but all I saw was their stricken faces as they died, some even as a result of my blade. For those at the top who can look down to see what goes on beneath cannot help but feel the pain. In some ways, it’s worse. If I died…what would vengeance do for me, aside from give me a new companion in the afterlife?”

Hsien-Shao evaded one of Traea’s strikes by backflipped away, retreating several feet back. Hsien-Shao sighed as he drew his sword and pointed the tip toward her.

“Retreat now, Traea, and you will regain your balance and we both shall live on. Stay and fight—even if you do manage to somehow kill me—and your own death is ensured, and it will not be the valiant sort many look up to.”

Nuvem: The Maggot's Nest...

A beautiful woman approached the entrance to the Shinigami prison. The grass around the area was thriving, she noted, but the lack of security made her laugh. No guards were in sight. Then, a faint whistling noise ringed in her ears. She executed a backflip just in time to narrowly avoid two slashes from Ezretha Isishio and Teiko Seishin.

Teiko: How did you get here?

Nuvem: Hmhmhm.... All it took was a well-placed Kido and a convenient opening of the gates. You Shinigami... Stupidity seems to be your number one trait. Now, answer me this. Why are there only two captains here?

Ezretha drew his sword. Teiko did the same, and the wind picked up as reiatsu fluctuated.

Ezretha: One angel versus two captains is already a one sided fight. You'll be done for within the hour.

???: And what makes you think she's alone?

Both captains' heads turned to the right, where their eyes fell upon a familiar, sapphire-eyed face. Asmodea sat cross-legged, face stern. It was as though she had been there the whole time, they just hadn't noticed her.

Teiko: When did she-

Asmodea rose to her feet, her katana now drawn as well.

Asmodea: Stupid kids. You fail to fathom exactly how many years we are your elders. We know of techniques you couldn't think of in your wildest dreams. Now, Nuvem, which of these insufferable brats would you like to revoke the existence of?

Nuvem: Hmhmhm... I choose the pale one.

Ezretha looked back toward the brown-haired Angel, only to have his eyes widen at the sight of her already extended arm glowing with golden energy. Ezretha panicked in an attempt to raise his sword in front of him.

Nuvem: Too late.

A wide blast of golden energy, the thirty second Hado, engulfed him and shot him out into the distance.

Asmodea: And you shall definitely follow in the footsteps of that blasphemous woman who has just recently perished. Mikazuki, as I recall.

Teiko: Don't you dare talk about Mikazuki....

He appeared in front of the Angel in a heartbeat, their blades clashing and littering the ground with a plethora of sparks.

Teiko: EVER!

Reiatsu levels skyrocketed as the battle began.

Teiko brandished his blade and stared into the eyes of his opponent, watching as she smiled ever so slightly. He snorted and leaped away from her. She raised a brow.

"Scared, Shinigami?" she mocked, tilting her head to the side. Teiko took up a stance and growled.

"Not a chance. However I for one know better than to stay near you, Shirub." he said through clenched teeth. Asmodea chuckled and appeared in front of him again, clashing blades with him, upping the force immensely.

"You're going to die, you know that right?" she stated, little tid-bits of amusement gracing her face as she spoke to him. Teiko broke contact and aimed for a low sweeping kick. She leapt over his leg and slammed her palm into the back of his head.

Teiko stumbled forward, his body responding quickly as he heard Asmodea behind him. He swiveled his head, and held up his blade to stop the incoming blow. He grinned as he flash-stepped behind her, and then back again, in an attempt to confuse her. As she finished turning, h flash-stepped to her left and crouched, wrapping the bladed chain around her leg. Asmodea whipped her hand across his face, sending him flying into a nearby wall. Consequentially, as he flew, the chain was yanked with him, slicing deeply into her leg before tailing behind Teiko.

She growled as she looked at her left calf, bleeding profusely. "You must have a Death wish, boy."

Teiko smiled a bit as he watched her seethe. "Somebody must be angry with me." he joked.

Asmodea screeched, furious that he had already landed a painful blow to her. "You'll die, just like that woman! She deserved to go, and so do the rest of you!"

Teiko ducked under the swing, moving swiftly away from her as she sliced through his robes and deeply into his thigh. He winced, tripping and stumbling backwards. Asmodea appeared above him, aiming to run him through with her blade.

Teiko moved his body to the side, the blade missing by an inch, and burying itself in th ground. Teiko, brought his body around, using the momentum to perform a spin, and brought his right leg down into her back. She grimaced as she pulled her blade from the ground and backed away a step.

Teiko growled, his eyes betraying his anger. "Don't speak of her. She was a dear friend, and I'll die before I let you talk about her like that!" she shouted indignantly.

[PLAY MUSIC]

Asmodea Smirked, her blade glinting with the pale light of the moon. "Very well then. I won't say anything of her until the fight is done, and by then you will be dead. Mark my words, boy, I will rip you limb from limb."

Teiko held his blade to eye level. "I'd like to see you try it!"

Asmodea Smiled wide, her blade level with Teiko's. "I think I will!" she shouted, as she appeared in front of him, her face inches from his own. Teiko muttered a curse under his breath as she whipped her blade across his stomach, sending blood to the left of them both. He crouched down, holding his stomach, and glared at her.

"Are you all talk or what?" she asked. "You bore me."

Teiko snarled. "Shut your face, Shirub. You merely caught me off guard." Asmodea laughed once, and turned to him, her wicked grin spreading ear to ear.

"Oh really? Then I'd like to see what you can do when you're prepared for my attacks. That kick you landed before did hurt, I will admit, and it did break maybe one vertebrate. But that means nothing. You shinigami resort to nothing but cheap tricks, like the one you used on me." she finished, pointing to her left calf.

Teiko stood up, smiling slightly, though still finding it hard to stand with his injured leg. "Cheap tricks aren't something I use every day." he said, sparing a glance to the chain hanging from the pommel of his blade. He smirked wider.

"But they certainly come in handy, wouldn't you say so yourself?" he asked, genuinely intending to get an answer. Asmodea laughed, and flash-stepped above Teiko, holding the chain.

"They do." she stated with an edge of laughter. She yanked the chain upward, along with Teiko who refused to let go of his sword. She landed a solid kick to his rib cage and sent him flying. He sped towards the wall, and crashed into it, passing clean through the wall, and tumbling to a stop on the other side, laying still.

Asmodea flashed to the hole in the wall, and peered through, the dust beggining to settle. As it became transparent, she spotted Teiko, standing slouched and holding his chest. He held a stern expression on his face, yet he looked somewhat pained all the same.

"That was low, even for you, Shirub." he called.

"It was expected." Asmodea retorted quickly. "After, all, you did use the same sort of underhanded method on me."

Teiko grimaced. "Yes, but I'm sure it didn't hurt as much." Asmodea chuckled.

"Admitting pain? That's unlike you, shinigami." she inquired. She continued to smile as Teiko whipped the chain above his head in circles.

"Pain is pain. No matter how often you choose to ignore it, it is still there."

And with that, he charged.

[Discovery! The Plot Thickens]

(Zurui left Squad Four, heartened by his 'chat' with Yua Honoka. The Squad Four Captain was an intriguing lady. Instead of heading back to his own Squad barracks, Zurui had an epiphany about something he had been suspecting for quite some time, but no way to ever make any such discoveries about it. The only reason he had ever decided that the Seireitei had some kind of 'surveillance', from the Shirub, was the fact that they knew so much about the Shinigami. They couldn't know so much, unless they had a way to 'see' or 'hear' certain facts. Zurui was going to find out how. Zurui quickly decided to make a stop somewhere out of the way, so he could acquire a certain device, so he shunpoed away from his original path and made his way to the Department of Research and Development.)

[Play Music]

-However they did it, I will find out. They cannot hide their 'technology' from me, if it is indeed a technology allowing them such surveillance. Then, I will crush anyone who gets in my way. I have had it with this ridiculous notion of revenge... Next time I see Korrotasu, it will not be for revenge, but fight for the memory he left behind with me. That is what must be done.-

(Zurui had an epiphany... Where he found Mikazuki's body, he would find the answer to his solution there. When he had found her body, he had only known it was there because of the sudden flash of reiatsu, one that could have only been Azriel - the other former Captains had shown their reiatsu to him before, plus he had felt Azriel's reiatsu a long time ago, when he was nothing but a measly Seated officer in Korrotasu's squad. Right before Mikazuki's funeral, he had investigated the area where she had been placed. It was obvious that she hadn't died on Soul Society soil, since no-one had felt her reiatsu disappear. During the investigation, he had used a device he had perfected a few years ago, while he was a 3rd Seat. The device had shown a hollow area underneath the Rukongai, directly underneath the Rukon District, closest to the gate. Zurui was planning to further investigate, but had been called away for the funeral and then the chaos had appeared. However, it was time now, time to find out what exactly was going on.)

-Let's see what happens!-

(Zurui entered the gate area. The same Gate Guardian was there. He flinched automatically when he saw Zurui. Obviously he remembered their previous encounter.)

Gate Guardian: You want me to open the gate, Sir?

Zurui: Of course. I have an investigation to undertake. I don't want ANYONE, Captain, Vice-Captain or officer coming through this gate after me, you hear? This investigation is top-secret and could potentially be very dangerous.

Gate Guardian: Yes, sir. I'll remember that.

(The Gate Guardian turned and bent, putting his arms down the bottom of the gate, then lifted with it with a tremendous effort. His arms bulged and veins stood out like whip-cords, as the gate was lifted right to the top. Then Gate Guardian paused, holding the gate there for him.)

Zurui: Thank you. Remember what I said...

Gate Guardian: You're welcome, Captain... And I will remember what you said, do not open the gate to anyone, even a Captain. Might I ask your name, sir?

Zurui: I told you last time. It is Zurui Kurohyou, Squad Twelve Captain. I suppose you want to know so you can tell anyone who comes here that it was I who made the order?

Gate Guardian: Exactly, sir.

Zurui: I thought as much - it is the logical explanation. Good day.

(Zurui shunpoed through the gate and landed on the other side. The Gate Guardian let the gate go and moved out of the way; he slowly disappeared from view, as the gate came to a crashing halt. Zurui turned and began his search for the area he located last time. It was no easy task, he hadn't marked the area out last time, as he hadn't had the time. It was lucky he'd thought to stop in at the Department, otherwise he probably wouldn't have any way to find the hollow underground. Zurui pressed the green button, activating the device. It was simple, really; the device calculated how much carbon and earth was beneath him and would find a 'hollow' area, where there was no earth and probably no carbon. It had a sound detector, so that, when it found the 'hollow area', it would make a loud, annoying beeping sound. Zurui wandered for a few minutes, trying to find the area, but didn't get so much as beep, at least until he moved closer to where the housing and other buildings were in the Rukon District. He suddenly realised something, when he had found the hollow area, it had been underneath a warehouse, right next to where he had found Mikazuki's body. He shunpoed over to the warehouse and the device began to beep softly. The device would make a louder beeping sound, depending on how far he was from any hollow areas and, when finally entered the warehouse, it began to beep louder and louder, until he came to pallet with crates piled on top. He knocked the crates off and moved the pallet, and made an interesting discovery - there was a trapdoor there!)

-Hello, hello... what's this doing here?-

(Zurui pulled the trap door open and entered. The spiral staircase lead down, so he followed it, descending windingly, until he finally reached the bottom. There was a huge, steel door, that looked like it hadn't been opened in a while. Zurui tried to open it, but failed and stood there looking at it, until he finally realised that it wasn't going to budge. Zurui sighed, it would have to be opened the hard way, then.)

Zurui: Hado No.88, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!

(The massive, blue blast of electricity smashed into the door and exploded violently, shattering the metal and sending shards flying everywhere, one even zooming past his face, slicing into it slightly. Zurui looked on in amazement, as a laboratory came into view.)

[Stop Music]

-What the hell? Since when has this been here?-

Awesome post BP! Very Mysterious...

Heh, thanks, Link. XD. You'll find out when the plot develops, and I'm sure you'll be interested to know what happens.

Isishio slid across the ground in a cloud of golden hado and dust, making a ditch in his wake. He staggered to his feet, his bandages swallowing crimson blood as his wounds opened again. He could tell this would not be an easy fight, what's worse is that his oppenent laughed in rapture at his pain. He sliped off his haori and tied it around his waist, revealing his thin, musclular arms which were wrapped in bandages, except for his undamaged lotus tattoo. His chest was also visibly bandaged through the V in his sleeveless uniform.

Nuvem: Oh, this won't be fun! He can't even fight to his all! Let's switch!

Isishio: All due to your friend Farfalla. You could blame her, but it's rude to blame the dead.

Nuvem: That's right...you're the Shinigami that killed her. Nevermind, I got this one.

Isishio: Well (he flicks his blade down and extends his other arm and flicks his fingers up and down, the signal of a challenge) Let's dance

[Play Music]

She charged hard and fast, the strokes of her blade clanging off his with intense and rapid pace. Isishio backflipped of Nuvem's body and slid. He had to break that off. He charged and sweepkicked and brought up his arm on the next spin, trying to slice open her stomach, but she bends away as she jumps, flips and dropkicks Isishio's head, sending him tumbling. He retaliates with an onslaught of blows from his sword, aimed at every extremidy.

Nuvem: Kid, you try too hard.
She rockets a foot into his abdomen, and he doesn't even flinch. He looks at her leg then at her, a grin on his face, his face looking very kind.

Isishio: You're just not trying enough. A great man once said, go into battle determined to die, and you will live. Go hoping to live, and you will surely die. Now...are you ready to die?

He grabs her leg and delivers his own kick into her chest, then attempts a slash at her face, knicking her cheek, which began to bleed. He then smacked her with the end of his sword with a dull thud. He released her leg and quickly leap back, his sword at full guard. She hadn't moved, but she then cracked her neck and knuckles and let out a tremendous scream as she charged towards him.

Nuvem: NOW YOU'VE PISSED ME OFF! HOW DARE YOU!

Isishio: It's against my code, but you're the ene-

She barraged him before he could finish as he blocked with as much speed as he could muster.

Nuvem: YOU ENJOY MAKING ME ANGRY!?

Isishio: You're not angry. I can tell. You're scared.

[Play FIRST song]

Teiko charged, whipping the chain in vicious circles above his head. Asmodea smirked ever so slightly, and sped towards him. As she neared him, she slid to avoid the chain and passed by his feet. She gripped his right ankle tightly and dragged him along, hearing a loud thud as he hit the ground behind her.

Teiko stood up, growling. He covered half of his bloodied face with his free hand and pushed himself up with the other. He bent down to pick up his zanpakuto, but was interrupted by Asmodea's knee colliding with his face and sending him skyward. Teiko, with his sword still on the ground, could only use his arms to block the oncoming slash. Asmodea was relentless. She appeared before him, slashed his arm and was gone, all within a fraction of a second. Teiko dropped to the ground after what seemed like ages, and lay still.

Asmodea appeared next to him, lifting him up by his collar and peeking at his eyes. They stared ahead without a trace of emotion. She cackled as she saw this, her face morphing into a wicked smile.

And then, Teiko was gone. Asmodea stared at her hand in shock, not realizing where he was. Teiko appeared behind her, blade in hand. He raised his right foot and brought it hard into her Temple and sent her flying to his left.

"Damn brat!" she howled as she skidded to a halt. She raised herself easily, feeling a small line of blood spread from the top of her forehead to the bottom. She screeched in rage, appearing in front of Teiko and clashing blades with him. Teiko crouched, finding it hard to stand firmly under the pressure. Asmodea took advantage of Teiko and upped the anty, bringing her blade down harder. Teiko's ankle slipped and he tumbled backwards.

Asmodea didn't waste time. She raised her blade again, and brought down a mighty swing. it connected hard with Teiko's shoulder, and sliced through it easily, the blade trailing blood. Teiko let out a sharp cry and flashed several yards away to survey the damage to his left shoulder. He grimaced as he fought to get back up again, staggering to his feet clumsily after several seconds.

Asmodea raised her blade once more. "Now to you understand?" she asked, keeping her voice low and sinister. "You will die here, boy."

Teiko glared at her, only hatred shining in his eyes. "That may be so. But I'll put up one damn good fight before I let someone like you kill me."

Asmodea raised a brow. " "Someone like me"?" she asked. Teiko smirked a bit and let out a half hearted chuckle.

[Play SECOND song]

"Yes. A dirty, underhanded bitch. And I'm not just referring to you." Teiko said, a playful smirk lighting up his face. Asmodea furrowed her brow as she realized who else the boy was talking about.

"Underhanded... you think that our revenge is underhanded?" she thought aloud. "Why? We have a justified reason to be upset with you... lesser beings."

Teiko snorted. "Please. And what will become of you after you achieve your goal?" Asmodea sighed.

"We'll lead happy lives. Lives like the ones we had before you tore them apart." she finished. Without giving Teiko time to respond, she was upon him again, this time aiming a flurry of blows to his throat, as if she wanted to silence him for good. Literally. Teiko took a chance and blocked one of the blows with his blade and ducked under the next. As she recovered and prepared a third strike, Teiko balanced on his hands and kicked his leg up, meeting her arm full force. He heard a small snap, like a twig and her blade clattered to the ground. Teiko swiftly turned on his head and popped up, bringing a solid drop ax kick to her head.

Or at least he thought he did.

Teiko opened his eyes to find that she had stopped the kick completely with her other arm. He cursed as she grabbed his ankle and threw him over her head into a nearby wall. He slammed into it, the wall cracking from the force. He coughed and spluttered as she drew nearer to him. Teiko gripped his shoulder, now becoming agitated.

Asmodea gripped her forearm tightly, grimacing and grinding her teeth. "You're right. No matter how much you ignore the pain, it's still there." she said, coming to a halt.

"I will use all of the pain caused by your disgusting race... all of the pain we've endured since that day... I will use it to crush you here!"

Asmodea picked up her blade and raced towards Teiko, who braced himself.

And as she drew near, and as he felt the blade enter the body, he smiled. Asmodea herself came to a stop and the blade, sunk hilt-deep into both his body and the wall, was soaked with his blood. Teiko smiled even wider, despite the pain that he felt. He raised a very shaky hand to her torso and...

"Hado 88! Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!"

hjg

[Moonlit Sophistication]

Traea: (Her eyes slowly work their way from the ground to his face, tempting his eyes toward her) You threaten me with death and defeat, and yet, you back away. (She recollects herself, standing tall and proud) Even you can’t fake that level of confidence, Hsien-Shao. You know this battle has already been won, despite your ability to afflict pain through spiritual means. It’s true, Usoda has no power over that, and she and I can accept that. Matter and space is our domain, which is why your earlier methods were fruitless, but I allowed you to reveal them for a purpose.

Captain Wong-Ling: Is that so?

Traea: A true tactician allows their opponent to reveal his or her own weakness. In doing so, I enabled you to use your techniques so I could adequately observe them.

Captain Wong-Ling: I knew my earlier strikes were too convenient, but that is in the past. Your body has been ravaged by Tiānlóng and has no hope of recovering. Your life will end with me, even if I die before you.

Traea: Oh, it doesn’t matter. You may afflict me all you like, but there is one thing I will always dominate you on. ..Spiritual energy. I am not only more experienced, and older, but I am far more powerful. You wouldn’t resort to such techniques if that weren’t true.

Captain Wong-Ling: What are you getting at?

Traea: (She slowly approaches Hsien-Shao, evoking a massive surge of spiritual energy. Her dense, spiritual pressure drenches the air). When did you become so audacious that you could compare the deaths of a few hundred men to the slaughter of an entire nation? You have considerable gull, Captain Wong-Ling. And I will be the one to eviscerate it from this world. It is men like you who believe they have obtained true power simply because they admire their skills. Let’s be fair, though, there is nothing that makes you great. You may have a technique capable of bypassing Usoda in Shikai, but Bankai is a completely separate account. I will not release that, it isn’t necessary. Even though I want to watch the life drain from your eyes like I did those men from the past, I will wait. You have yet to see a demonstration of true omnipotence, but you will, alongside your comrades, when you least expect it. (She stands only a few feet from him, continue to release her massive spiritual pressure into the atmosphere). Yin and Yang is just another form of energy, but as you know, energy always yields to an indomitable will (She looks up and releases a fountain of spiritual energy into the atmosphere, lighting up the darkened sky with light-blue energy. It surges through the atmosphere, mimicking the softness of moonlight. She looks at him, staring deep into his eyes). You have no authority over my body, even with that technique. In battles of spirit, those who exist on a lower plane are always doomed to lose.

Captain Wong-Ling: (He clutches his blade tightly, an acknowledgement of her might. He prepares to strike her, hoping to rid himself of her defiance)

Traea: (She pulls her eiku from the ground and slams it quickly, sending a surge that swallows Hsien-Shao. The surge carries him at the edge of a body of water and jets in the air) You had a final trick, but I have a final gift. Kijun Yugami…

Captain Wong-Ling: (He stares at her peculiarly, as two spacial distortions appear on either side of him. He is suddenly struck by two raging bursts of water. The water strikes him with unrelenting force, leaving him winded and gasping for air as he falls to the ground below. He crashes into the ground, having been strike by his own attack. Before he can react, a burst over water erupts from below him, carrying him into the sky, before falling once again. He collides with the ground, rolling across the soil).

Traea: It is the defeat of the pathetic, isn’t it, Captain? (She watches as another spacial distortion materializes, releasing his Raikōho.)

Captain Wong-Ling: Danku…(it manages to block his attack, shielding him from damage. But in the moments he summoned the Danku, his other kido appears behind him. He looks behind him before he is pummeled by Senjū Kōten Taihō. It generates a burst of light of great magnitude before the sounds of devastation echoes through the atmosphere. When the dust settles, Hsien-Shao lie face down on the ground, his blade lying beside him).

Traea: (she snaps her finger, shattering the Bakudo used to hold the lieutenant, simultaneously suspending her eiku from her back. She approaches the weary lieutenant, as he stares upon the devastation that has ravaged his one serene hiding place) Don’t attempt to move, otherwise I will break your legs).
Lieutenant Kaganehisho: (He stares at her, unsure as of what to do, now spotting Captain Wong-Ling on the ground, struggling to move. He leaps forward, but is immediately stopped by Traea, who clutches his throat tightly and stares him in the eyes).

Traea: Did my voice waver? (She slams her foot into his leg, breaking his tibia. She begins dragging him across the ground as she summons a Wakiki Getou). I told you, Captain, you would be writhing in agony as I drag the lieutenant to Shirubaraito. That…is true chaos. (She enters the gate and it closes behind her, leaving only chaos).

Another great post Crazie! Although they got away with another one... :\

[The Fears From Within]

Kakura lounged around on the bed he awoke on. He lay staring at the boring, pale white ceiling, counting the tiles for going on the 16th time. His mind wandered from time to time; thinking about what Sekhmet had said, wandering back to his sister’s cold and lifeless body without so much of a shudder or a fleeting trickle of an emotion running through his now bitterly cold heart. He occasionally gazed at the blade that lay by his side with a look of utter contempt.

He looked around the stark and barren room, knowing that there would be nothing of interest. He was just trying to occupy his ceaselessly wandering eyes. In another severe bout of boredom his mind shot back to a particular phrase Sekhmet had said

[Back on the Cliff Top]

Sekhmet: I bet you can’t imagine losing your spirits entirely. That experience, that life long experience, is an unfathomable level of desolation.

Kakura thought long and hard about this sentence.

Kakura [Inner Monologue]: That kido that bitch used on me…could really take away my spirits? I don’t know whether to laugh or be surprised. There’s no way she’d gloat like that to me…unless she is really that self assured. I can accept how powerful they are. I can accept that they are far more advanced in kido than we shinigami could ever hope to be. I can’t accept that they are able to take away something that most of us hold near and dear to us. The nly way I’d find out anything though is by asking one of them and I’m not exactly in a position to simply waltz up to one and expect to gain an answer.

He unsheathed his zanpakuto, raising it into the bright, artificial light. He stared at it quizzically. One thing he’d never understood is how he could put it through such a beating when he fought and it would come out of that battle without so much as a scratch or scuff. Without thinking longer on the subject he placed it across his lap and closed his eyes. Soon he drifted off to his spirit world.

Kakura awoke lying on his back, on top of blackened grass. He slowly raised his head and looked around. The countless trees that made up his inner world were leafless, petrified into a stark and rotten death. The flowers that once infested the forest floor lay withered and black from some unknown force of nature. He wandered through the forest, heading directly to the centre. He covered his nose with his sleeve to try and stop the pungent fumes of death and decay fill his nostrils. He noticed that a thick black mist coated the earth. Looking up at the rotten canopy, he noticed the sky had become a black, starless void. He kept make his way through the seemingly endless throng of trees to finally reach the clearing at the forest’s heart.

Kakura kept on walking. His eyes roved the crumbling walls and battle torn castle that lay before him. He stepped over the dilapidated threshold, walking through the slowly decaying corridors and walking calmly into the throne room.

He was immediately greeted with the snapping jaws of Kurai Nichiyobi. Kakura leapt away from him and looked the Wolf dead in the eyes.

Kakura: (He sighed from exasperation. This wasn’t the first time the spirit had tried to attack him. Though he seemed a great deal more agitated than usual) What’s wrong with you?

Kurai Nichiyobi: (His voice was little more than a deep growl. This made it hard for Kakura to distinguish his words. He prowled around in a circle waiting for an opportunity to attack him) I’ll tell you why I am annoyed. Because of you that insufferable women could erase me from existence. Do you understand how pissed off that makes me?

Kakura: (His face and voice did not display any emotional change as he insulted his spirit) Not much change there then. (He then continued to walk past him, heading for the throne that dominated the room.)

Shiroi Tsuki: (She looked down at him with a look of mild intrigue and contempt at the same time. Her angelic face seemed to shine in the dimly lit room) That’s the first time you’ve ever dared go near him let alone walk past him. (She walked down the steps that led up to the throne, her arms crossed) Though he is right, you are the cause of him having total eradication as a possible future, not that is any great loss…

Kurai Nichiyobi: (His voice cut across Shiroi’s extremely quickly, his voice layered with savagery and malice) Shut up Bitch! If wasn’t for that fact this moron would die without you, I’d tear you to shreds right now.

Shiroi Tsuki: (She laughed at his words) Hah you wish. You wouldn’t be able to law a single paw on me…

Kakura: (He stepped in between the two of them, hoping to keep them from fighting each other) Would you BOTH shut up and calm the hell down. For crying out loud every time I come here you’re at each other’s throats. Can we please be civil for once?

They both looked at him with the same level of ferocity; however Kakura did not recoil under their combined glare.

Both: (They spoke in perfect unison, their voices echoed around the room) Shut up lowlife! Don’t interfere!

Kakura merely turned around and walked over to one of the stone columns that were supporting what remained of the roof. He leant his back against the column and slowly sank down to a sitting position.

Kakura: (He crossed his arms, breathing slowly and deeply, before he spoke) So what do you think about Sekhmet being able to destroy zanpakuto spirit’s then?

They both looked at him bizarrely. Shirio Tsuki sat down on the stairs, crossing her legs as she did so.

Shirio Tsuki: (She looked down at her trainer clad feet, when she did speak her voice was fearful, like that of a child’s) I’m…I’m worried. I…don’t feel safe anymore. Not that I did much before, (She looked at Kakura) you were always extremely reckless. It’s just…I can’t begin to imagine what will happen to us once she uses that kido for a second time. If that’s actually what she needs to do.

Kurai Nichiyobi: (He slowly slid onto his stomach, wincing slightly as he did. Kakura noticed the chains were still attached to his underbelly) I’m not worried as much as angry. I’m angry at those Shirub bastards for inventing such a kido, as well as that other bitch for using it on me. (He looked at Kakura) And angry at you for being such a pathetic weakling that you needed me to put myself in harm’s way just to keep you alive.

Kakura rolled his eyes, causing Kurai to bark at him savagely.

Shiroi Tsuki: (She played with her silver ponytail while clutching her skirt firmly) What worries me the most though is how she knew we weren’t cooperating with you.

Kakura: (He looked towards her, noticing the deep concern that plagued her beautiful face. For the first time since his sister’s death, he showed a sign of compassion) Well that’s one question only a Shirub can answer. Don’t dwell on it; I’d hate to see that pretty face stuck looking like that.

The scene faded around Kakura as he found his way back to the realm of the conscious.

[Entangled Energies]

As the Wakiki Getou closes, a forceful gale of frozen winds in the form of a dragon charged forward furiously. Traea shot the severely injured captain one last look of contempt as the gates closed before the dragon could reach, allowing it to pass through thin air. Hsien-Shao coughed up blood onto the ground for a minute before a heinous grin sprouted on his face.

“Fighting an absolute effect with willpower?” He chuckled painfully. “Well, what do you know? Perhaps I was mistaken. Her spirit wound up enough to get past my scales after all. Keep up that mentality, Traea, and perhaps you shall see why only the intangible can be truly absolute.”

Hsien-Shao took a deep breath as he stood straight and stuck his sword into his sheath and returned to its sealed form. The chaotic fields of fire died down and the lightning ceased suddenly as the air calmed and silence suddenly returned. As the balance in the surrounding area returned, Hsien-Shao’s body shuddered violently and more blood pooled in his mouth. Hsien-Shao took a deep breath and vanished abruptly with shunpo, shooting violently forward back towards Soul Society.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Honoko blinked and glanced up from her work as she heard a commotion outside her office. She would have allowed the squad members to handle it themselves, but something about a presence she felt was strange. It was a somewhat familiar spiritual pressure but twisted at the same time. She rushed out through the crowd of people, driven by curiousity. Before she could begin to guess who it could be, she stepped out into the daylight to see Hsien-Shao collapsed on the ground, surrounding in a pool of blood that came from his mouth. Yua’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw him, noticing all the wounds across his body. His bare torso was covered in heavy burn marks and bruises and his hakama pants were deeply colored with his own blood. He looked like hell, basically, and yet she couldn’t imagine who he greeted her with a smile, albeit it shaky.

“Captain Wong-Ling!” She cried in surprise as she rushed forward. “What on earth happened to you?!”

“I had a long overdue jubilee with an old friend.” Hsien-Shao replied after a moment’s hesitation. Then his smile vanished. “Although, I’m afraid that the results were horrendous. While the damage done to the landscape wasn’t as bad as it could have been, we’ve lost another vice-captain.” He sighed in exasperation. “Captain Nagaishi is going to be furious with me.”

“Please wait.” Yua raised hand to stop him before he could continue. “First of all, come inside so I can look at you. Those injuries look terrible.”

Yua helped Hsien-Shao up and he limped inside with her. Though she didn’t say anything, the moment she came in contact with him, she was able to feel the strange warped essence of his spiritual pressure very clearly and she shuddered internally. It was as if his reiatsu had been taken and put in a blender. She could feel that it was slowly trying to correct itself, but she knew that his terrible physical condition was hindering it. Once Yua got him in a ward and sat him down, she immediately began inspecting him.

“Your body is pretty tough.” She said as she noticed that none of the wounds were actually fatal, despite how severe they looked. “Your recovery is ensured. Your health, however, may vary, depending on how exactly your spiritual pressure got like it is…”

She noted his wry grin with a sigh.

“What happened?” She prodded.

“I’m surprised you could tell the difference.” Hsien-Shao chuckled. “What you see is the effect my shikai has on my body when used recklessly.”

“Your shikai?” Yua blinked in surprise. “But your wounds weren’t like this back during your fight against the 8th angel.”

“I wasn’t acting recklessly at that time. My opponent, this time, had no one else around to distract her rage, though I’d like to solace myself in thinking she’s currently worse off.”

Yua was curious but asked no questions. She pressed her palms to Hsien-Shao’s body and summoned kido to begin closing the bleeding wounds. As she did, she began to feel the twisted flow of his spiritual pressure and was overwhelmed by curiosity. She prodded toward in experimentally. The flow was rough and random, with absolute no pattern to it. Though his body was tough, it was straining Hsien-Shao’s internal balance, though not too much. Even his reiraku were twisted and mixed together in a chaotic jumble. She decided to try and put the flow on the right path once more and pushed at it with exerted force…

And was greeted by the fangs of a massive bronze dragon at her neck. Fear struck straight through her chest as a cold sweat formed at her brow, not daring to move. Was this…Hsien-Shao’s Reiryoku?

The next thing Yua knew, Hsien’s Shao’s hand was an inch from her face and the dragon was gone, allowing her body to relax.

“Curiosity killed the cat, Ms. Honoko.” Hsien-Shao said softly as he retracted his hand and sat back on the table. The wounds that had closed had immediately opened from the sudden movement. “I’m afraid you can’t force something like this.”

“How do you fix something that like?” Yua asked in awe. “If your energies are fighting against you—”

“Meditation and t’ai chi ch’uan. It corrects my balance when my Yin Yang is disrupted by my zanpakutou. Power comes with a cost, they say. My anti-world zanpakutou is truly a double-edged sword. No pun intended.”

He sighed as Yua went back to healing, being sure to avoid messing with his spiritual pathways, focusing on healing his wounds. Hsien-Shao sat in silent for a long minute, watching the wall without really seeing it.

“Why didn’t you use bankai?” Yua asked finally to break the silence. “If you are that concerned about the vice-captain.”

“It’s not suited for protecting people who are in a close proximity.” Hsien-Shao replied simply. “He might have gotten caught up in it if I had. And honestly,” His expression darkened. “This risks involved may not have been worth it.”

Asmodea's eyes widened and her eyebrows slanted as she witnessed the charging of electrical energy in the palm of the young captain.

Asmodea: You annoying little-

The blast struck her in the center of the chest, propelling her backwards some hundred meters. Finally, she dug her feet into the ground and skidded to a halt, the surge of power rushing by her, damaging her clothes and body. When the cloud of electricity finally passed, she stood, slouched, with her robes torn at many places. She slowly took several steps forward whilst Teiko seized the hilt of the katana pinning him to the wall and began an attempt to free himself.

Asmodea: I bet you think you're awfully clever... Brat.

Teiko heard her, but only barely. The force he was using in his attempt to dislodge the blade from his chest was enormous. Finally, the weapon began to jiggle in place. He had loosened it. Taking a deep breath, he extracted the weapon from the wall, then fell to his knees, blood streaming from his mouth. Asmodea appeared in front of him, her skin charred. She dropped to one knee, retrieving her blade and looking Teiko dead in the eyes.

Asmodea: I was going to make your fate a slow one, but...

Her fingers wrapped around his neck, hoisting him into the air while Asmodea herself rose from her kneeling position. She extended her blade to the side, a blue energy building up around it.

Asmodea: Begin the symphony... Sonus.

[Play Music]

Teiko, through Asmodea's hand, could feel the immense reiatsu of the Shirub building up. He tried to raise his hand, but could only get in to her wrist before it fell back down, useless. Glancing down at the Angel's sword, he witnessed the blade shatter right off, and instead be replaced by a grey, vibrating energy. A dull, bass note hummed in Teiko's ear. A peaceful sound. He felt her grip on his neck release as she tossed him to the side.

Asmodea: Now, witness the power you can only dream of having.

She plunged her blade into the ground, and it instantly began cracking, splitting apart, and creating a massive crevice that split towards Teiko. The captain dove to the side in the nick of time, staggering to his feet.

Asmodea: You cannot escape me, just as you cannot escape death.

Teiko: Shut up!

Asmodea giggled deeply, raising her blade and admiring it's length.

Asmodea: Your voice does indeed make a loud sound... But my blade is made entirely of sound.

Teiko: W... What?!

Asmodea: Now, please release your Zanpakuto's final stage.

Teiko: Damn-

Asmodea: Now. Unless you want to be shattered to pieces by the vibrations of Sonus!

And the Shirub began a dash towards the wounded captain.

[Grinning Deceit]

Captain Kurohyou: (He feverishly scours the underground laboratory, taking in the technological genius of such a bunker. His fingers slide across keypads and consoles, dialing in codes and symbols hoping to find answers to his questions. He’s focuses, as data scrolls across the screen, his eyes methodically analyzing the information. He quickly lunges to his left, refocusing his attention on the numerous screens displaying images of the Soul Society. He dials into the system, discovering what seem to be infinite feeds being delivered from every portion of the Seireitei. Each window displays multiple locations and images within each of the squad barracks. He grins for a moment, reveling in his discovery. His grin quickly dissolves as he stumbles upon the feed salvaged from the Captains’ assembly hall.) Inner-monologue: This entire time (he says angrily), someone has been closely watching our every movement, tapping into our most private conferences. What am I saying? Only Zalbeseal could have constructed such an elaborate display of technological invasion. It’s no surprise he felt compelled to live his days as Captain in absolute secrecy, shrouding his experiments with mystery and doubt. He established this entire operation, enabling him to maintain a watchful eye on all of us, no matter our location. He has likely been siphoning information even while he was Captain, which is likely how they orchestrated each operation with such precision and success. He has even been spying on me…which I suspected when I became Captain of Squad Twelve. I meticulously scanned and searched all of my barracks and the Center of Research and Development. I turned up nothing. And now, to find out, he somehow managed to slip by my efforts. I need to gather all this and return it to Head-Captain Sureiya. But not before inspecting this equipment further. It’d be a terrible waste to hand this over without taking away some benefit, aside from the obvious. (As he continues to sift through the various equipment, a strange clicking is heard from behind him. It echoes throughout the long, spiral staircase into the steel-lined room housing the surveillance tech. He shifts his attention to the noise, turning to investigate. The clickity-clack he heard was a result of tiny marble-sized orbs. Dozens of them roll into the lab, one stopping just before his foot. His eyes widen in dismay, as he quickly flash-steps from the room. A massive explosion engulfs the underground laboratory, decimating all that resides below. He darts from the bunker, quickly followed by a rush of smoldering fire. It erupts from the bunker like a volcano, spewing shards of metal in every direction. Zurui looks upon the rubble as the bunker collapses onto itself, leaving Zurui with a soured expression).

Zalbeseal: I’m rather disappointed, Zurui, I thought you’d find my laboratory sooner.

Captain Kurohyou: (His eyes dart over to Zalbeseal, delivering an incensed glare.)

Zalbseal: Where are my manners (said with a devilish grin, his tone possessing a tinge of humor)? I should likely address you with honorifics, isn’t that right, Captain Kurohyou. We wouldn’t want the title to go to such waste. After all, to dismiss such a brand would only invalidate the obstacles you sought to overcome in an effort to achieve it.

Captain Kurohyou: Smug as always, Zalbeseal. Not much has changed.

Zalbeseal: I’d have to politely disagree. From my perspective, much has changed. Look at you, for example. You’ve transitioned from a lowly seated officer to an esteemed and respected captain.

Captain Kurohyou: (He scowls, noting Zalbeseal’s sarcasm) Don’t patronize me, Zalbseal. I’m no longer your pupil. It would stand to reason that I could teach you a couple things now.

Zalbeseal: The more you reason the less you create, Captain Kurohyou. I made sure all my subordinates knew as much. Have you forgotten all that I taught you?


Captain Kurohyou: I’ve tried, but you seem to only linger like a rodent.

Zalbeseal: Ha, what a colorful retort, Zurui. I always did enjoy your sense of humor in the face of certain danger.

Captain Kurohyou: (His eyes remain focused on Zalbseal, refusing to let him out of his sight)

Zalbseal: Whether or not you deem my instruction satisfactory, one thing is certain, you held on to my advice concerning observation. You haven’t bothered to inspect anything other than me. You’ve carefully analyzed my every movement and gesture. Your analytic gaze has proven quite focused, Captain Kurohyou.

Captain Kurohyou: You’re correct, I did. Observation is the tool any wise scientist uses to secure vital facts.

Zalbeseal: Very good, Captain. Very good indeed (he smiles proudly as he stares at Zurui). You’ve certainly matured. It’s surprising what manifests as a result of deceit, isn’t it, Captain? It truly forces those affected to update their internal defenses and find more valuable methods for guarding their hearts and minds. A magnificent gift, deceit is. Look how it affected your life. You wouldn’t be where you are today without it. Apparently, it fuels you in a way most do not.

Captain Kurohyou: Now you’re taking credit for my growth? You’ve lost your sensibility, Zalbseal.

Zalbeseal: (He chuckles under his breath, taking his time before responding) Oh, Captain Kurohyou, your candor is something to appreciate. However, your naiveté is not. I don’t need to outright take credit for anything, it is all implied. Whether you choose to see it or not, the variables are quite glaring.

Captain Kurohyou: In coming moments, I wonder if you’ll express this same arrogance and pleasure when my sword is tearing through your flesh?

Zalbeseal: Let’s not be foolish, Captain. I’ve you taught far better than that. But, perhaps time served as captain has clouded my teachings and corrupted your ability to adequately glean the necessary information from your environment. Tell me I am wrong, Captain. Tell me the ignorance that plagues this nation hasn’t effectively undone all that I gave to you?

Captain Kurohyou: (He stares at Zalbeseal, refusing to respond).

Zalbeseal: (He opens his eyes further, focusing in on Zurui’s sorrowed expression) Oh, I see…(he lowers his head, shadows spreading across his face as his grin stretches across his cheeks). You and I both know you lack the capacity to defeat me. Don’t allow senseless gallantry to convince you otherwise. (His eyes slowly refocus on Captain Kurohyou, possessing a demonic, but lighthearted luster) When valor preys on reason, it eats the sword it fights with.

Captain Kurohyou: (His face remains calm, although his body is unsettled by Zalbeseal’s dark words) Spare me your sage advice, Zalbeseal. It serves absolutely no purpose, other than to feed your ego.

Zalbeseal: That’s the peculiar nature concerning egos, Captain. They exist in defense against those who desire our ruin, and yet, people are swift to dismiss them as valuable. You of all people should understand that, especially considering the circumstances. If it were not for arrogance, a result of an active ego, you wouldn’t be standing here hoping to intimidate me with your stern gaze. No, you would be cowering beside your numerous failed experiments. So, you see, even a foolish man need explain his actions with arrogance.

Captain Kurohyou: (he scowls at Zalbeseal, attempting to shake off his words) You didn’t come here to boast philosophical genius, did you?

Zalbeseal: Hardly. I came because I knew you were snooping in places you shouldn’t be.

Captain Kurohyou: Weren’t you the one snooping?

Zalbeseal: Hah, perhaps. You’ve caught me red-handed, Captain. Now you know our secret.

Captain Kurohyou: Yes, I do. I knew your knowledge of matters concerning our location and tactics were awfully convenient. You had been working on installing these surveillance devices the entire time you were captain.

Zalbeseal: Drones, to be precise. (He spots the captains confusion and smiles wider) Intriguing, isn’t it? I fashioned the concept when I meditated on the idea of absolute vigilance. I imagined a world where I could see everything, thereby exploring multiple factors which would only strengthen my research. It would help me achieve success much more quickly. The drones are so versatile, as you well know, I began using them for the purpose of surveillance.

Captain Kurohyou: Operation Omnipresence.

Zalbeseal: I see you spotted my documents in the bunker. Yes, it was quite a clever title. That’s why I chose to refer to them as omnidrones, miniature, self-operating machines capable of recording and delivering vast amounts of data. They are one of my more prized inventions.

Captain Kurohyou: Too bad they’re nothing but trash now.

Zalbeseal: True. They are connected to a primary server, which enables their link and hive mentality. Without the server they are essentially useless, but…

Captain Kurohyou: (He is startled by numerous explosions stretching across the entirety of the Seireitei. His head swings around so he may gaze upon the endless explosions. He adjusts his posture, projecting a dissatisfied glare at Zalbeseal). You programmed them to detonate upon disconnecting with the server?!

Zalbeseal: Well-done, Zurui. And it only took you until the moment of detonation to determine my surprise. Any good scientist designs clever methods for concealing his research, and this was mine. If they were ever to be found, I envisioned it would be by you. So, I decided to equip them with a self-destruct feature if ever they were severed from the primary server. Thereby ensuring my technology would never be confiscated and duplicated and I could enjoy a light-show as the Seireitei was rewarded for their inquisitive nature.

Captain Kurohyou: You bastard…(he clutches his sword, pulling it from its sheathe. He raises his spiritual pressure, drenching the air)

Zalbeseal: (He grins at the captain, showing no signs of intimidation)

Captain Kurohyou: I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to finally disembowel you, Zalbeseal. After your deceitful ways were revealed, I vowed revenge. And that day has finally arrived. Do not fret, it will be over quickly. My strength has surpassed ever yours.

Zalbeseal: He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.

Captain Kurohyou: (He grips his hilt tightly, attempting to dismiss Zalbeseal’s viperous words). You mock me, even when my blade is seconds from slicing into your neck? That’s reckless…

Zalbeseal: Perhaps my tone conveys mockery, but my words only reiterate what we already know. You’re well-aware, aren’t you? What would be truly reckless would be what you’re about to do. You’re a flash-step away from utter evisceration…Captain Kurohyou. (In that instant, Zurui flash-steps toward Zalbeseal, swinging his blade horizontally. Zalbeseal easily catches his wrist, thrusting his fist into Zurui’s chest. Zurui darts backwards, rubbing his wound methodically).

Captain Kurohyou: (He attempts another assault, elegantly flash-stepping in multiple directions before appearing behind Zalbeseal. His blade is caught by his grinning opponent. He slides his blades through his fingers, slicing into his skin. He leaps upward, but is swatted away with relative ease. He can feet the intense force as Zalbeseal’s hand collides with his neck, leaving a large imprint on his flesh. He flies to the left, recovering mid-air and landing on the ground). How’s that wound?

Zalbeseal: (He looks down at his hand before raising it to display Zurui’s perceived success. He watches Zurui’s pride slump as he gazes upon a barely scratched palm.) Surprised, aren’t you? Well, nevertheless, it was a meaningful effort. Although, you best not try and stop my blade with your hand. I’ll cleanly sweep through those precocious fingers of yours. Entering data will never be the same, I imagine.

Captain Kurohyou: Quit patronizing me, Zalbeseal. We are equals. You are no longer my superior.

Zalbeseal: When you rely on such unstable logic, you only damage your own argument. We’re not equals, Captain. You’re hardly considered a pleasant distraction at this point. You’re nothing more than a pest, like the aforementioned rodent you conveniently compared me with.

Captain Kurohyou: (His pride growls from inside his body before blurting out a secret) I have achieved Bankai…

Zalbeseal: (He watches his former pupils expression, humoring his ill-prepared rebuttal with silence)

Captain Kurohyou: Inner-monologue: Why does he have this effect on me? Of course I have achieved Bankai, I couldn’t have obtained my position otherwise.

Zalbeseal: And let me guess, you believe your newly achieved Bankai ensures victory (He is quiet for a moment, simply staring at Captain Kurohyou)? Hahaha (He releases a hearty laugh, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. His laughter continuing to mock Captain Kurohyou)!! You’re naiveté is quite refreshing, but your Bankai won’t promise you victory (his words slip from his mouth, dripping with condescension). You should know that by simply generating a hypothesis there is no guarantee your experiment will yield positive results. There are a multitude of factors affecting the outcome of each and every segment. I thought I taught you better than to simply rely on hunches. A minimal achievement of Bankai is a far cry from superiority, especially when you learned it only a couple months ago. To learn and to master are not synonymous, you of all people should know that.

Captain Kurohyou: (He holds up his blade, confident and proud) I’d prepare, if I were you. You’ll discover just how ill-informed you can be.

Zalbeseal: (he laughingly scoffs) I’ve never responded well to threats…but I am willing to indulge for fantasy for a brief moment or as long as it amuses me, whichever comes first.

I have to disagree with some of the portrayals you made of Zurui, Crazie. Nothing big, mind you, just a couple of little things...

In the previous post Zurui resolved not to fight for revenge (remember that revenge is often ill-reasoned), but because he wanted to test the mettle of Zalbeseal, as well as 'avenge' the memory Zalbeseal left behind in leaving, and see who was truly stronger, therefore he while he would consider himself 'equal', in a sense, to Zalbeseal, he certainly wouldn't think he was stronger simply because he has a Bankai now - he isn't so naive as to think that his year-old Bankai would have that much of an effect against someone who is proven to be severely strong. Zurui would fight Zalbeseal, even if the other was ten times stronger.

[Released]

A knock at the door woke Kakura from his slumber. He sat up as he heard the lock unfasten on his door and sleepily gazed at the figure that emerged from its threshold. Yua was disappointed to see that there was no reaction on his face as she walked to the side of his bed. Kakura maintained a steady and cold stare into her eyes as she spoke to him, making her shiver a little.

Yua: (She sat down next to his bed moving her hands towards his still injured chest) I’ll just finish up your treatments and then you can leave. (She started removing the bandages swathing his chest to reveal the deep, horrendous scare that Sekhmet had burnt into his body. She moved her hands over it)

Kakura: (His hand shot up, stopping her from healing him. His eyes become hard scaring Yua even further) Do not remove this scar Yua. This isn’t the first or the last I’ll receive. I’ve been in here many times before and asked the same thing over and over again. Do not remove my scars. They remind me of my mistakes and remind me of the bastards that gave me them. They are my signs of pride and my signs of mortality.

He let go of Yua’s arm as she shrank away from him, feeling helpless and alone. He got up off the bed, picking up the discarded kimono and haori that lay on a table near the door. He looked at Yua, gesturing with his head towards the door. She nodded in silence and left the room; closing the door behind her. He dressed relatively quickly and slotted his zanpakuto into its regular place on his belt before placing his hand on the door handle and opening it. He found Yua standing at the window across the hall looking out at it. He noticed her shaking hands as well as her emotion clad voice.

Yua: (Her head faced the floor, shielding her from Kakura emotionless stare) Why are you like this? You’re not the Kakura we all know. You’re not the person who I would spend hours on end chatting to. You’re not the person that everyone would trust to have by their side. It feels like two of my best friends died instead of just one.

Kakura just looked at her before parting with some of the coldest words that ever left his lips.

Kakura: Believe what you want, I don’t care about your opinion or anyone else’s opinion for that matter. If any of you get in my way again, you’ll die. No matter what you believe or hope, I can never go back to the man I used to be. He died with my sister.

As he departed he could hear some strangled sobs that escaped from Yua’s mouth as they echoed down the corridor. He carried on walking; an uneasy feeling rose in the pit of his stomach. He noticed the tell-tale signs of battle that hung in the air, from around the prison of all places. He carried on making his way to his usual spot under the trees in the Rukon District. Usually he’d remark at the beauty of the place. Now he could only think of how much of a waste of time that was. The beauty was lost upon him.

[Not my best post]

[Stupefying Reaction!]

(Zurui waited, not wanting to rush in straight away and ruin any chance of defeating the former Captain, instead he decided to linger before attacking, in hopes of learning how powerful the man could be. Now that he had finally come face-to-face with Korrotasu, he wasn't going to fight recklessly.)

Zurui: You honestly thought I would rely on my Bankai to defeat you...? I have picked up many pieces of knowledge over the years and will not squander my chances at fighting, and possibly defeating you. You seem to think I don't know how intensely strong you are... You are wrong, I know exactly how dangerous you are, but I don't know exactly how strong that is. Don't bother trying to goad me into attacking you head-on.

Zalbeseal: What a fool. Again you show how little you truly learnt from me. I have no reservations about anything that you said and I certainly am not trying to 'goad' you into attacking me head-on... I don't need to - eventually you will attack me, otherwise, what is the use of even trying to stand against me?

Zurui: Whatever. I don't believe you... I think you have simply lost your mind completely and now you try to rationalise away my accusations. If that is the way you want it, then I'll show you what I'm made of.

(Zurui's reiatsu began to rise rapidly, and he shunpoed, appearing above Zalbeseal and fired off a swift Byakurai, then disppeared again, unsheathing his Zanpakuto to block any sudden attacks. It was already too late; Zalbeseal had already moved from his current location, then appeared right in front of Zurui, with his Zanpakuto outstretched. Zurui clutched his shoulder, where a patch of blood was dripping out.)

Zurui: My, you certainly are quick...

Zalbeseal: I'm not surprised that you missed the full brunt of that attack. It would be an insult to my training and teaching for you be taken down so easily... I hope I'll get a decent battle out of you, at least, before you perish.

Zurui: You are a fool. That barely even touched me. Don't get too cocky, yet, this battle isn't over until one of us is dead.

Zalbeseal: Oh, I'm not being cocky, Zurui, just telling it how it is. At your level, you simply have no chance of defeating me in battle. In fact, you have no chance of survival. I always calculate the odds in a battle before I engage.

Zurui: Yeah? Then maybe you should prove it, instead of spouting useless information at me.

(Zurui waited for the former Captain to make his move. Zalbeseal was already gone by the time Zurui had come to that conclusion, but the Captain just managed to make out the silhouette of Korrotasu and dodged the head-splitting attack, and mounting his own. Zurui's reiatsu flared around him, as they both pressed their blades together, sparks issuing from the tensile metal of their prospective blades. Finally they separated violently, a small explosion of reiatsu obscuring their view of each other.)

Zalbeseal: Well, well; I see that you have excellent reflexes, too, Zurui... Been training frequently for when you met with me in battle?

Zurui: Not just for you, but in order to remain loyal to the Soul Society and to protect those that would be harmed by you Shirub...

Zalbeseal: A useless sentiment. As strong as you have become, it is simply not enough.

(Zalbeseal flew head-on at him, knocking his blade aside and cutting deep into his shoulder. Zurui grunted with the pain and kicked Korrotasu away from him and fired a Tenran at the other man. Zalbeseal dodged it easily and fired a Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho at him, one with more explosive power than he had ever known. Zurui tried to dodge, but knew that he wouldn't be able to completely, so he stopped and took the blast head-on, conjuring a swift Danku in the process. The Danku cracked, then shattered and a huge amount of energy sent him reeling and exploded right in his face. Zurui emerged with several bleeding cuts and several burn marks on his face and arms.)

Zurui, panting: Your Kido is amazingly powerful. I am positively amazed at the strength of just that Kido alone. Still, it'll take much more than a Kido spell to kill me.

Zalbeseal: No doubt. Anything less would be disappointing...

Zurui: Then wait until you see what I have in store for you. You'll perhaps realise how much training I've had since then.

Zalbeseal: No amount of rationalising will defeat my level of experience, compared to yours... Your concept won't work on me!

(Zalbeseal sneered ruthlessly and threw another deadly barrage of attacks on Zurui, his eyes flashing with resolve and experience. Zurui threw up a direct parry, glancing the other Zanpakuto away from him and shunpoed backwards, landing with a backward flip, facing Zalbeseal. Zurui disappeared and used Rikorojoro, conjuring the Kido swiftly and fired the metal bolts in a large clump, all welded together with a shattering spirit energy. Korrotasu struggled momentarily against the Bakudo, while Zurui spoke the words to a very devastating Kido spell 'Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness! Hado, No.90, Kurohitsugi.' Zalbeseal was caught in the trap, the black boxes constructing around him, like endless TV screens, black like black holes and glittering with malice and incomprehension. Then suddenly they inverted swiftly, compacting and contracting, then disappeared altogether. Zalbeseal Korrotasu appeared again, a few mere cuts on his body, the robes slightly torn and tattered, and blowing from the receding spiritual energy remnants. Zalbeseal vanished suddenly, and Zurui's eyes strained to focus, as the inherent reiatsu sped towards, without his immediate vision. Zurui strained his ears and thought he could hear the rushing air of Zalbeseal's body, then made a parry to the left, partially blocking Zalbeseal's attack and forcing his body into the walls of the laboratory, causing an explosion of fizzing chemicals, glass and broken equipment. Zurui focused his senses and rolled forward, avoiding the Zanpakuto flying towards his immediate location and jumped upwards, flash-stepping at the last second. Zalbeseal found his stomach with his foot and slammed him back to the ground. Zurui fought the urge to die and twisted his body, in order to force himself back at the other man. Zurui managed to cut into the side of Zalbeseal's robes, just next to the ribs and drew a spray of blood and a ripping sound.)

Zalbeseal: I'm surprised you haven't managed to die yet. However, if I wanted to, I could wipe you from existence now... Your Kido is pitiful, you barely even managed to scratch me, even though it was a 90's level Hado. Care to explain why you are so weak?

Zurui's eyes flashed: Don't speak about me in that sense, bastard! Want to see what I can do? Synchronise, Parameta Yaiba.

(Zurui's green reiatsu shrouded his figure and shimmers of energy flowed through the air around them. The sudden breeze from the energy up-size ruffled Zalbeseal's hair, as the blade of the katana disappeared and the crescent-shaped, edged weapon shaped itself flashily in Zurui's hands. Zurui draped his haori onto the ground and then ripped the wrapping from his torso and arms; the ginjotan fell with a dull, but weighty thud.)

Zalbeseal: You were using a ginjotan to stop my attacks and protect you from injury. What a fool! That is a direct insult to the training I gave you once. How dare you!

Zurui: True, you did teach me... However, training every day, at shunpo, while wearing a ginjotan, is marvellous for teaching a greater proficiency at the ability, whiling training your body in ways you didn't know possible. I dare to you to try and prove me wrong. Maybe you should test your way of training against my way of training. Shall we see whose way is better?

Zalbeseal: So now you think to act immaturely... Is this all a game to you? My obvious superiority? You are nothing but a brat, who thinks that his underdeveloped strategy is equal to my experience and better equipped skills. How arrogant of you. Perhaps you shall be taught a lesson for your impugnable mocking, your repulsive theories and your obvious disregard to my teaching.

Zurui: Then it was all for nothing. Why train me, if you simply planned to betray me?

Zalbeseal: I never betrayed you. You Shinigami are detestable creatures, always making things about yourselves. Us Shirub suffered because your kind, you moron. And you think this is just about training you? That was merely a ruse to draw you away from striving to kill my kind and to fool you into thinking I could somehow have the same morals in mind. I never had any intention of trusting any of you despicable Shinigami, because I was always going to turn on you and have my revenge for the death of my kind.

Zurui: Such cold words, yet with so much meaning... So you now vow for revenge, simply for something that happened a thousand years ago? What a piteous fool you are, Korrotasu. Oh well, I'll show you the error of your ways – you can count on that.

(Zurui's reiatsu rose slowly, shrouding him in an eerie, green light. The density of his spiritual pressure also began to rise slowly, and Zurui held his blade out in front of him, aiming it directly for Zalbeseal's heart. The Captain pounced swiftly, vanishing right in front of Zalbeseal's eyes and made a stabbing motion, cutting the other man through the left side of his chest. Zalbeseal's eyes widened momentarily, as he realised how much faster Zurui had become. Then his cold eyes focused themselves again and Zalbeseal moved even faster than Zurui, bludgeoning the Captain backwards, sending him crashing into a lab table. Zurui grinned and let his reiatsu flare around him. They clashed and a massive congregation of reiatsu, Zurui's reiatsu meeting Zalbeseal's, exploded violently, consuming much of the rest of the still-standing objects in the lab. Zurui slammed his overgrown Zanpakuto into Zalbeseal's sealed sword, almost knocking it out of his hands. Zalbeseal forced Zurui back and swung cleanly, almost taking Zurui's head off in the process.)

Zalbeseal: I'm getting bored. Perhaps you should show me your Bankai now, otherwise you may regret it.

Zurui: My Bankai? To fight you like this? Get real, Korrotasu... I'm not using my Bankai any time soon. Gekitai!

(The force of the ability knocked Zalbeseal right into the far wall, his body crackling from the electromagnetic repulse flowing through his body. Zurui flashed above him and struck downwards with a glancing blow, cutting into the metal casing around and just missing Zalbeseal. The other stood up, his body back to normal.)

Zalbeseal: What was that?

Zurui: Gekitai is a powerful, repulsive force and a new ability that Parameta Yaiba taught me himself. Don't get cocky just yet – you should know that I won't go down so easily.

I'm confused. What lab are we talking about? Chemicals?

[Grinning Deceit: Untouchable]
Zalbeseal: (He begins laughing uncontrollably, enjoying the moment) You shinigami never cease to amaze me. You’re much too amusing, it is almost painful. I don’t know…(struggling to speak while he laughs) what’s worse…( he begins to regain his composure and fends off the lingering chuckles) your delusional sense of morality or…your inexorable impudence (As his sentence nears its end, his tone and demeanor are arrested by a strict malevolence. His voice deepens as he questions the two concepts. And to Zurui’s surprise, his grin begins to fade). Do you honestly believe you possess the power necessary to oppose me? (He bypasses Zurui’s sensory defenses, thrusting his fist deep into his gut. The force propels Zurui across the ground, hurting into a nearby forest. The sound of splintering wood and fluttering leaves fills the area. Zalbseseal slowly approaches Zurui, his eyes focusing intently on the captain). You dare entertain the notion that you can battle on a caliber similar to my own. I outclass you by a millennium!

Captain Kurohyou: (He calmly looks up at Zalbeseal, withholding his immense disdain. He clutches his zanpakuto tightly before announcing). Gekitei!

Zalbeseal: (The repellant force approaches Zalbeseal, but he obstinately defies its onslaught. The concussive energy bellow through the air, only to be abruptly halted by a single swing of Zalbeseal’s hand. His hand defiantly tears through the energy, shattering it no differently than glass. He stares at Zurui as he regains his composure).

Captain Kurohyou: Inner-monologue: How did he manage to thwart my attack with nothing more than a swing of his hand?

Zalbeseal: (He stares at Zurui, abruptly regaining a cheeky grin) You may have grown, Zurui, but you cannot hope to breach the gap even in a thousand years. (He holds his blade firmly in hand, ready to seal it within his sheathe)

Captain Kurohyou: Do you believe that is the wisest of actions?

Zalbeseal: I see no reason for my blade, unless I have managed to over look something…?

Captain Korohyou: (He smiles, sweeping his hand through his hair) Playing dumb, I see. Normally, that may be a clever tactic, but not while Parameta Yaiba is active.

Zalbeseal: (He grins widely) Oh, did I end up contradicting the laws of battle?

Captain Kurohyou: You did indeed. You took your hand off your hilt, enabling me to activate Parameta Yaiba’s first ability. I must deliver your punishment.

Zalbeseal: (He maintains his gaze, smiling while Zurui relishes in his accomplishments) So it seems…(he stretches his hand to the side, allowing Zurui to swoop in and slice into his flesh. His blade slices into his arm and shoulder, prompting blood to drool down his side. He did not flinch once, keeping his full attention on Zurui. He tilts his head, bearing his teeth to the captain) Quite a delivery, captain. It would seem you are eager to play games. Alright…I will entertain your interest in games, but I should preface it with some advice. (His smile is contrasted by his sinister tone) You should be weary with whom you play games....(He pulls his blade from his sheathe, allowing the moonlight to glisten on the blade) Bond and splinter…Dashine (As he releases his blade, Zurui charges, hoping to gain an advantage. As he approaches, Zalbeseal’s blade begins disassembling, dissolving before their very eyes. As the blade vanishes, Zalbeseal releases the hilt, allowing the remains to fall. As the remains fall to the ground, they dissipate, leaving nothing behind.)

Captain Kurohyou: You released your hold on your hilt. You’ve broken the same rule you foolishly forewent earlier (He swings his blade, slicing into Zalbeseal’s forearm. His blade, despite force and ferocity, does not deliver a deep blow. Zalbeseal suddenly grabs his blade tightly. Zurui, baffled by his opponent’s audacity, shifts his eyes toward Zalbeseal. In that instant, Zalbeseal pulls him close, leaving Zurui defenseless. In a surprise move, Zalbeseal thrusts his hand into Zurui’s shoulder. His fingers, like blades, rip through his flesh and tear into precious ligaments. Zurui responds quickly, despite the pain, pulling his blade from Zalbeseal’s grip. As he slides his blade through his fingers, he takes notice to a strange sound and watches as sparks scurry about from the friction. He flash-steps into the distance, his posture compromised by the throbbing pain in his shoulder. He glances from his periphery, inspecting his wound. He’s startled by the severity and level of precision installed by simply thrusting his fingers into his flesh. Zurui shrugs off the pain and locks eyes with Zalbeseal. He examines his pronounced grin…) Inner-monologue: What an astounding display of hubris…

Zalbeseal: (He continues to grin widely, almost mocking the captains failed efforts. He holds out his hand, glancing down at his palm, unharmed even after having Zurui’s blade slash into the flesh. He returns his attention to Zurui, proudly displaying his lack of injuries). It’s awfully disconcerting, isn’t it, Captain Kurohyou? It must affect your pride, not having an answer to this most difficult dilemma.

Captain Kurohyou: Pride is for those who forego the benefit of logic and reason.

Zalbeseal: (He chuckles to himself, mocking the sage words of Captain Kurohyou) You make such an effort to sound clever and wise when you should be far more concerned with your opponent. You need not philosophize with me, Captain Kurohyou. No matter how emphatically you recite your words, it will not aid you in this battle.

Captain Kurohyou: (He scowls at Zalbeseal, brushing off his fowl sentiment) Your arrogance is like a weed, Zalbeseal. It needs to be removed, otherwise you will fall victim to the illusions it weaves.

Zalbeseal: (He grins proudly at Zurui, unphased by his words) Oh, captain, you’re incorrigible. Too bad that persistence works against you. (He begins walking toward Zurui, prompting Zurui to flash-steps toward him).

Captain Kurohyou: Your arrogance is unsurpassed, Zalbeseal! You walk toward me as though you are a god…(he swings his blade, but Zalbeseal simply catches it with his hand. Zurui quickly counters as he watches Zalbeseal’s hand approach his other shoulder. He twists his body, rotating like a propeller, and uses the force to pull the blade from Zalbeseal’s grip. He leaps backwards and lunges forward, bringing his blade hurtling downward on Zalbeseal. However, his opponent is well-prepared and stops the blade with the back of his hand. Zurui can feel the unmovable force behind his block. He senses his blade is unable to cut his flesh, which perplexes him. Zalbeseal begins a series of random strikes, using his bare hands to fend off Zurui’s zanpakuto. Zurui retreats as Zalbeseal continues his vicious assault. Zurui watches in dismay as Zalbeseal’s bare-hands clash on par with his blade, receiving no damage no matter how he angles his blade’s edge. He increases his speed, pumping ample energy into his movements and lunging backwards. He lands at a safe distance and embraces an entirely new tactic) Hado 54: Haien!

Zalbeseal: (He continues to grin, even in the face of a level 54 hado, barreling toward his body. He simply raises his palm and a vibrant blue energy explodes from his hand. It strikes the Haien, engaging in a battle of superiority. It manages to consume the high-level kido, rendering it useless.)

Captain Kurohyou: (He gasps, exclaiming over the massive defeat of his hado.) This is impossible…you defeated a level 54 Hado with a level 33. That’s unheard of!

Zalbeseal: You believe I did something devious just now? You doubt my superiority, even after that display of power? How foolish, captain.

Captain Kurohyou: (he darts at Zalbeseal, firing multiple blasts of energy. He watches as Zalbeseal weaves between the projectiles, closing the distance between them quickly. He engages his former captain once-again, wielding his blade with tremendous vigor. His blade collides with Zalbeal’s hands, being blocked by bare-flesh. He watches as Zalbeseal swats away all his efforts. Zalbeseal lunges forward, reaching for Zurui’s neck. He leaps back, gains some precious distance, before sliding his blade down Zalbeseal’s extended forearm. His blade sparks as it glides down his arm, aiming for his neck. Zalbeseal leans back, allowing the blade to pass over him. Zurui quickly flash-steps away, avoiding a swing from Zalbeseal’s opposite hand). Your reflexes are impressive.

Zalbeseal: A welcomed compliment, Captain. I should say the same for yours. (He zooms toward Zurui, flipping above him before he could swing his blade. Zurui dashes in the air, engaging Zalbeseal mid-air. He begins attacking Zalbeseal with tremendous force, striking his hands and arms. Zalbeseal effortlessly blocks his blade before trying to grab it tightly).

Captain Kurohyou: (He narrows his eyes, grimacing at this repeated tactic. Zurui’s blade is caught swiftly in Zalbeseal’s grip, but is just as swiftly relieved when he swipes it through his palm. Zurui watches closely as Zalbeseal’s fingers digs deeply into his blade. He is astonished, immediately flash-stepping to inspect the heinous crime. He glares down at his blade, it having been defiled by his former mentor. He carefully analyzes the gouges rendered by Zalbeseal’s fingers. His frustration is visible, as he is unable to determine how this man could physically injure his robust blade). …how did you do it? What did you use?

Zalbeseal: Captain, have you lost too much blood? You’re blather is incomprehensible. (His words anger Zurui, as his blade has been compromised. Passion fills his body, fueling his efforts. He speeds toward Zalbeseal, bringing his blade hurtling toward his hands. In the moment before they meet he leaps back and lunges forward, propelling his blade through Zalbeseal’s stomach. It pierces his flesh, producing a grinding noise as it enters his body.). It appears you’ve impaled me, Captain…

Captain Kurohyou: (He looks into Zalbeseal’s eyes, proud of his accomplishments, but distressed by his former mentor’s level of disinterest.)

Zalbeseal: What rule am I breaking if I manage to clutch your tsuba? (With those words his hands wrap around Zurui’s, inhibiting his efforts to withdraw from his position. Zalbeseal grins widely before he speaks) Kokutsu Ninijizi…(these words produce a flood of leaf-sized shards that encircle the two. Thousands of tiny green shards glide through the air, churning into one another like waves of the ocean. They abruptly center on Zurui, adhering to his flesh, shredding his clothing as they attempt to burrow into his body.)

Captain Kurohyou: Gah (he shouts, enduring the pain of this unusual kido. He tugs on his hands, unable to release himself from Zalbeseal’s grip. Zalbeseal simply pulls him closer, impaling his body further with Zurui’s blade. Zurui manages to free one of his hands…) SOKATSUI! (He summons the powerful force of hado 33, allowing the energy to erupt into Zalbeseal’s face. It strikes Zalbeseal point-blank, prompting him to release the desperate captain. Zurui quickly pulls his blade from Zalbeseal’s stomach, retreating far into the distance. The kido continues to pursue, despite his speed. It rushes around his position, slicing into his skin no matter how he fights. He releases an explosion of spiritual pressure, forcing the kido back. He then thrust his blade out and generates a tenran, negating the other kido. He leans over, resting his body as a result of the brutal assault. He looks up, strands of hair covering his face, and glares at Zalbeseal. He watches as the bloody-eyed man grins fondly at him, relishing his success. He inspects his stomach, spotting no wound. He cannot fathom how he managed to heal such a severe wound, but is clearly not there any longer.).

Zalbeseal: (He smiles at Zurui as he wipes the blood from his temple and eye. When the blood is cleared, his skin is devoid of injury, prompting a perplexed expression from Zurui. A dark aura surrounds Zalbeseal’s body as he begins to speak). It seems as though we were destined to fight one another (cuffing his fist as he bears his teeth, delivering an ominous smile). And yet, it seems even more likely that you were fated to lose (His eyes stare straight in to Zurui’s as he ends his sentence with a deep, sinister chuckle, that seems to echo throughout the area).

My Long, long overdue post. I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting. AGAIN. =3= I swear, there is something wrong with the amount of unscheduled vacations my parents love taking.

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[The Sound of a Struggle]

Asmodea smirked a bit. "Now, please release your Zanpakuto's final stage."

Teiko gritted his teeth against the vibrations he felt. "Damn!"

Asmodea lost her smile, maintaining her serious posture. "Now, boy. Unless you want to be shattered to pieces by the Vibrations of Sonus!"

And with that, Teiko launched his next assault, racing towards her with blinding speed.

As Teiko prepared to slice through her side, she sidestepped just in time, having him slide directly past her and making him look like a fool with no aim. Teiko growled and launched an unexpected backwards assault, leaping back and landing nimbly on one foot and sliding the other one back, trying to trip her. He put his hands on the ground for leverage and brought the back foot up and into a reverse ax kick. Asmodea dodged it easily, bringing Sonus next to his ear. Teiko suddenly stopped moving, flustered by the intensity of the vibrations. He stood up slowly, his hands shaking madly as Asmodea grabbed him and whispered in his ear.

"Release your Bankai, before you die." she said, then releasing Teiko, shoving him forward.

Teiko, with no sense of direction, tried to stand up, but was to confused. the vibrations had done something to his mind. He tired once more, this time shaking his head before standing, managing to clear his sense somewhat. He bolted for his blade, facing Asmodea as soon as it touched his fingers. Teiko gritted his teeth again, and thrust his blade into the ground causing the sky to become alight with it's 'clones'. The electrified duplicates of Kin Rakurai fell to the earth with unbelievable speed, causing the ground to crack with their impact. Asmodea dodged them flawlessly however, causing Teiko to retreat along with his blade as she got closer.

[Play First Song]

Asmodea got close enough for the vibrations of Sonus to get to Teiko once again, slowing his movements, though not as dramatically as before. He was able to flash step farther away, only to have himself follow Asmodea's orders, which he wasn't particularly pleased about having to do.

He raised his blade to the sky, closing his eyes briefly and taking a deep breath. He looked at the dark clouds overhead, feeling them begin to swirl directly above their new found focal point; his Blade.

"Bankai!" Teiko shouted suddenly, the bolt reaching him a half a second later, and engulfing him in its bright light. Teiko felt everything begin to form, and soon he was ready.

Asmodea watched form a hefty distance, shocked by the force of the bolt that had signaled Teiko's Bankai. And suddenly, she was sidestepping another very fast swipe from him, twice as fast as before. Teiko brought his blade back, switching hands and thrusting it outwards, missing her by a few centimeters. And then suddenly his blade sparked, shocking Asmodea into a short submission. She knelt momentarily, holding her side. She growled at Teiko and then began her own assault.

She weaved her way in between his several ranged attacks, jumping high to avoid the ones aimed directly at her own feet. She landed on Teiko's shoulders, holding Sonus ridiculously close to his ear. Teiko flinched but, still with some mobility, managed to throw her off. Asmodea landed several feet away, returning to her relentless assault moments later. Teiko backed away a step, and the Flash Stepped directly above Asmodea's head.

"Gigasutomo!" he shouted, and the air began to smell of ozone. The lightning that coated his blade was there, and then gone in the next swipe of his blade, which sent a speeding wave of electricity in Asmodea's direction.

Asmodea reacted quickly, keeping her cool as she flash stepped above Teiko and kicked his back, sending him careening towards the prison wall. The impact knocked the breath out of him, as well as caused the clotted stab wound to his chest to begin bleeding even more heavily.

Teiko could barely stand up from the pain. Asmodea approached once more, her blade Sonus making it hard to hear anything she might have been saying.

And suddenly, Teiko felt a spiritual pressure he knew all to well. But it was distorted and Twisted with rage.

Within moments, Kakura was between Teiko and Asmodea, his eyes radiating fury.

Teiko suddenly found the strength to stand again, with the help of a wall of course.

"Kakura, get out of here. I don't need any help." he growled. Kakura merely turned to his much younger companion, and narrowed his emerald eyes. Teiko narrowed his as well, the cobalt looking black in the night.

"Don't tell me what to do, Seishin." Kakura spat. Teiko was taken aback by that. Kakuraalways called him by his first name. Always.

Teiko angrily ignored Kakura's presence, jumping above his head and attempting to attack Asmodea again. Kakura swiftly unsheathed his blade and whipped it across Teiko's back, causing the young boy to suddenly twitch madly in midair and fall to the ground. Kakura stood silently, holding his blade out to the side, the blood of his fellow captain still dripping from it's point.

Teiko got back up, slowly and painfully, before looking at Kakura, surprise the only emotion to be found on his face. "What the hell, Kakura?!" he shouted, his voice becoming shrill.

Kakura merely looked at Teiko. "Get out of my way." Teiko snorted, grabbing his blade from the ground.

"This is my fight, Kakura! I don't need you to butt in!" he shouted.

And with that, Teiko went after Asmodea once more, whipping his chain in deadly circles above and around his head. He whipped it dangerously close to her several times before he finally stopped and rushed at her with his Zanpakuto, cutting into her left side. He smiled in satisfaction, keeping it up.

[Replay Song]

He continued to do this, eventually landing a few more strikes to her body until she body slammed him to the side, knocking him into the far wall once again. She pointed her vibrating blade at him again, smiling ever so slightly. She then thrust her blade into the ground, nearly shattering it.

Teiko, still slightly immobile from the pain that surged through his body, watched as a massive crevice began to travel towards him, widening as it came. Teiko dodged just in time, suddenly able to flash step away, landing on the tiled roof of the wall that had been badly abused by the two of them. Then the ground suddenly began to split even wider, and the wall began to buckle.

Teiko lost his balance and landed heavily on his back as Asmodea tore the ground open, attempting to seize Teiko completely.

And all of a sudden, Teiko was weightless. He was falling.

He heard Asmodea's high pitched laughter as he disappeared from her sight, the walls of the chasm beginning to close up. Teiko gritted his teeth against the pain he felt and continued to feel, and whipped his chain upwards, sending it up with a swing of his arm. The chain, thankfully, caught onto a small tree root that suck out from the dirt and stone, stopping his fall completely. Teiko felt his arm be yanked by the forces counteracting each other and hung there precariously for several seconds.

The walls kept moving, but he just hung there, trying to catch his breath. Teiko gritted his teeth, and began to climb up, ignoring the fact that his hands were being shredded in the process. He then remembered about his wings. Teiko suddenly let go of the chain, and allowed his wings to bring him up the rest of the way, speeding towards the exit and zipping through just as it became too narrow for him, and then it slammed closed.

Asmodea stood there, her eyes wide with wonder. "How on earth did you muster the strength to fly and Escape that!?" she screeched at him. Teiko merely looked at her, his face betraying the amount of effort it had taken. He said nothing.

Asmodea began to grit her teeth, trying to keep herself from losing her cool. "You won't escape me next time. I'll make sure that you-"

"Makes sure that he what? Has a tea part with you?" Came Kakura's stinging remark. He still held his blade firmly in hand, the blood seemed to have dried at the tip.

Teiko stood up, slouching over a bit. "Enough, Kakura! This is my fight! Keep your fat ass and your big mouth out of it!"

And with that, Teiko flash Stepped above Asmodea again, holding his Zanpakuto behind him, his golden wings shimmering in the soft moonlight. The electricity began to grow in intensity, the blade soon coated with it. Teiko began to magnify that power, the lightning spreading out and creating a sort of armor for his blade. And he rushed towards her, screaming bloody murder.

"Saiga Kenjou!"

[A Dangerous Game]

Teiko’s blade was engulfed by gold and azure lightning. He lowered the blade down preparing to strike Asmodea. He suddenly flash-stepped, tearing through the air towards the Shirub with tremendous speed, Asmodea levelled her blade preparing to block the oncoming attack. Teiko yelled as he swung his blade; Asmodea closed her eyes waiting for the impact….that never came. She slowly opened her eyes and staggered back from what she beheld. Teiko was held motionless in the air by Kakura, who had recklessly got between the two combatants and closed his left hand around Teiko’s face. He stood there without turning to face the Shirub who at this point raised her blade in an attempt to strike the preoccupied captain. Kakura side-stepped the oncoming swing and while evading he slammed Teiko into the ground, causing a small crater to form around the young captain’s body. Kakura watched coldly as Teiko slowly started rubbing his head, coughing and spluttering, before evading another swing from Asmodea.

Asmodea: (She looked up at the cold-eyed captain with a gaze of intrigue) So your turning on your fellow Captains now, eh? When Sekhmet-sama said you’d changed drastically, she wasn’t joking…

Kakura: (He eyed her with a piercing gaze, noting that Teiko was beginning to rise to his feet.) Just shut your mouth and put down your zanpakuto; then we can have a nice little chat together before I kill you.

Teiko: (As he stood up straight he swayed slightly, cluching his head in an effort to subdue the throbbing that rampaged around his skull. He looked from Asmodea to Kakura, before shouting at Kakura as loud as he could) WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WE’RE ON THE SAME SIDE DAMMIT, WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING ME AND SAVING THAT BITCH, TRAITOR?!

Kakura: (He slowly turned his head to face the angry Captain) Like I said to Yua (Teiko’s eyes widened at the mention of her name) if any of you dare to get in my way again, I will not show you any kindness, no matter who you are or what side your on. (Teiko could hear the scorn in his voice at the mention of sides) Besides a dead lead isn’t much use to me.
Teiko raised his blade levelling it at Kakura’s midriff; Kakura merely eyed it with pure indifference, while he turned his attention to the Shirub that stood a few metres in front of him. She eyed him cautiously.

Asmodea: So you have me and this Shinigami whelp to deal with, Captain Kurotsuki. How confident do you feel?

Kakura: (He just raised his blade slightly, maintaining a focused gaze on Asmodea) I don’t feel confident; confidence doesn’t begin to describe my chances in this fight. Sheishin wouldn’t be able to beat me in his dreams, let alone in reality, while you would have to face two shinigami, no wait, one shinigami and an overzealous brat and you’ve seen how that ended for two of your own. (Kakura turned to the young captain) And as for you, I know Yua’s a good healer, but I doubt she’d be able to heal you after I sever what’s left of your spinal cord. (Teiko tried to hold back the pangs of fear that shook through his body. Kakura’s words rung with an absolute lack of emotion on any range.)

Asmodea: (Her voice sounded agitated as she swung her zanpakuto back in preparation to strike) Enough talking, let’s just start the fighting.

She flash stepped towards Teiko hoping to pick him off while he was preoccupied fending off Kakura. Teiko however parried the strike and then rapidly staved off the further assault that Asmodea threw at him. Kakura then emerged in the fray; he knocked Asmodea back with a quick and strong push before ruthlessly thrusting his open hand into Teiko’s throat, causing him to stumble back grabbing it and coughing simultaneously. Kakura then leapt after Asmodea, recklessly slashing away at her, each time receiving an effortless block for his efforts. Kakura leapt back in time to evade a swing from her zanpakuto and then started reciting a phrase Teiko knew all too well.

Kakura: Bring light to the darkness, Shiroi Tsuki.