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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2013 15:21:45 GMT -8
Shi was cunning, plain and simple. He didn't survive for nearly five millennia on guts and blind determination, no Hollow could really. The short Arrancar survived through learning, adaptation, and most of all, strategy. Those were the keys to survival and victory, especially when it came to taking advantage of his prey's actions. The sloppy swing did it's job well, luring the Shinigami out as well as bringing out their blade into view.
Along with the rest of their body, and appeared to overlook his zanpakuto or the possibility of a trap. From his perspective at least. Shi didn't bother to debate over details, moving as if guided by multiple minute strings to twist his body so he could actually pull his 'vulnerable' arm back and avoid the blade coming for it, though he did sustain a slight, but necessary cut. Necessary so he could bring his own zanpakuto in like a flash of dark lightning from the night sky above; a contortion aided slash aimed at the target's left side of the body. The actual specific lock was upon the upper arm to make a rather vicious surgical cut to a particular strand of muscles; ones that would severely hinder the Shinigami's ability to grip anything, let alone a sword.
Granted, Shi had a second target, even if they moved, a third on top of that actually. The second was the Shinigami's foot given the straight path of his downward slash, and the third was actually the branch itself for the simple purpose of forcing them to move and expend energy to do so. Even if they dodged, he doubted the branch could handle the Shinigami's weight as well as a strong slash.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2013 11:57:58 GMT -8
Shigeo understood quite well the possibility of his foe's uncoordinated strike being a ruse; in fact, he was almost sure of it. It was highly unlikely that his attacker was, in fact, left-handed, judging from the lack of power and accuracy behind the first blow. As such, it seemed reasonable to assume that it was mean only to divert his attention, draw him out so he might be struck down by a second attack from another angle.
The shinigami was prepared for this, of course, hence his slightly reserved counterattack -- he didn't wish to overextend himself and leave too wide of an opening. He was glad he chose not to be overeager, when a moment later, Shigeo's enemy tipped his hand, bringing his sword hand down from on high in an effort to carve open his left side. From its central position, Shigeo swept his zanpakutou up to meet Shi's, aligning the blade perpendicularly to his opposite's -- a simple, but effective block. Well aware of the precarious nature of their perch, the blond warrior began to think of how best to disengage and make his way to the ground unscathed.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2013 8:58:49 GMT -8
Kurisuna ran like a woman possessed, fast as her legs had deigned to take her. She had sheathed her sword—it would serve only to impede her mad dash for Shigeo's location—and economically exerted each breath, lest she fail to maintain her gait; a peculiar detonation was all that had clued the Taichou in, but it was adequate, and the ex-Lieutenant could not have strayed all too far.
She and Kiba had only conversed so long, and it was not difficult for her to connect the telltale sounds of sparring in a hushed forest to the gargantuan eighth seat. Kurisuna closed in, swerving to face the tall oak, and wondered what turn of events had befallen Shigeo for him to have acquired a foe undoubtedly armed with a blade—something she was quick to confirm, having contoured the tree.
Though she could easily match Shigeo's level, the Captain abstained from air walking, and slowly unsheathed her Zanpakutou; she could not discern his adversary's features from her vantage point, though she knew he had engaged the enemy, and spoke with reckless disregard for the Shinigami's well-being. ''Let me guess, Shigemitsu-san: you let the dragon fly away.''
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2013 10:54:20 GMT -8
Shi took the block in stride and dissected it with methodical skill that would put a surgeon to shame. The Shinigami was large to be sure, tall and muscular to boot and judging by the manner in which he blocked, was trained in the sword as well as experienced. In addition, he had mass and weight to him as well, not that Shi was surprised as he was by no means the strongest Arrancar physically speaking. In addition, he was not caught off guard by the second attack, not that Shi expected him to be; experience went along with skill in his opinion and more importantly, survival.
But that didn't ensure safety for the Shinigami. He had already expended himself earlier, and he doubted that any sort of technique would not tire a person. Even his Cero tired him in terms of reiatsu and a little bit of stamina, but not much. Considering he used it more than once obviously, in order to doggedly pursue Kurai in his mind, it was highly likely that he could not last a full length fight as Shi could. Though small, the Arrancar made up for strength and height with stamina in spades for the most part.
The dissection ended abruptly when he heard a voice; a woman's voice judging by the feminine quality, coming from his named opponent's direction. Obviously ground level and in all honesty, Shi had little doubt that it was Shinigami. He was far too deep in their territory for them NOT to be there. Though it did impress him to take note of the change in plans, swiftly altering it accordingly to give himself two options; continue the fight for a bit longer to at least cripple his opponent, or run. Given the position in the tree, he had to go with the former as outright running would put him at a disadvantage with a ground level enemy already in wait.
With that thought in mind, he did not hesitate to whip the sheathe into action, aiming for his opponent's right leg to force him to split his attention, while putting deductions and guesses about the new arrival on the back-burner. Though he couldn't help but wonder about the purpose of announcing herself so blatantly as well as turning herself into a possible distraction. Whether or not she did distract the Shinigami didn't much matter, for he planned to punish the Shinigami regardless and press down against in the clash of blades, to force Shige whatever into adjusting his center of gravity accordingly. Small he may be, but Shi was vicious nonetheless.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2013 12:12:09 GMT -8
A thrill of fearsurprise, quickly squelched, passed through Shigeo's body at the sound of his former mentor's voice coming from below, dryly sarcastic and cutting in tone and words. How'd she find me? ...Where is Shuchiku-Taichou? Did he run into her? When the eighth-seat had run off in pursuit of the cowardly Hollow, there had been no sign of Kurisuna; perhaps she had found Kiba, or vice versa, sometime afterward. But why isn't Shuchiku-Taichou here he should be here, he would be where the fight is so where
Shigeo quickly cut off that line of thought. It was clear where it was going, hell, it might even be accurate. He couldn't afford to think about it right now, though. Rather than respond to the female Taichou's remark, the towering shinigami refocused his attention on his rather compact opponent, glowering down at the Arrancar...just in time to receive a swat from the blunt object (wooden sword? scabbard? Plain old stick? Something like that) on the upper part of his right thigh. It's just like training again, thought the blond shinigami inanely, the pain momentarily recalling the welts and bruises brought on by bokkens, used in countless sparring sessions with Kurisuna, back in the days when she was his mentor. When she was still...well, back in the day.
Painful as the blow was, it was a familiar pain from those halcyon days, a hurt Shigeo could acknowledge and even accept without being overly distracted by it. He could bitch and moan later; for now, he had to make use of the reinforcements that had arrived, and that meant getting himself and this fellow to a more accessible battlefield. Shigeo began to step forward, intending to use his mass to force the Arrancar off the perch, when...snap. The branch that Shigeo and Shi had chosen for their battle was not designed with the strength for life-and-death battles to be held on its length; as such, when over 400 pounds' worth of flesh and blood and bone began jumping all over the place atop it, something had to give.
And it did.
With a great creaking and snapping, the branch finally began separating from the trunk, crashing down towards the not-too-distant ground. Shigeo, hoping to avoid any further injuries, would reverse his forward momentum, withdrawing his blade and jabbing forward with its tip in sharp, short movements: nothing intended to actually harm his foe, but to keep him at bay for a split-second. If successful, he would employ shunpo once more, taking himself backwards ten meters and angling down towards the ground, seeking to land safely away from the impending fall.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2013 12:00:25 GMT -8
Kurisuna sneered. It was not very professional of Shigeo, she thought, to keep his reinforcement in the dark and neglect to extricate himself from an unstable perch; his opponent, she could tell, was marginally faster and definitely more sure-footed than the musclebound Shinigami, and the flexing bough, evidently stressed to its limits, was doing him no favors. What, then, was the stream of thought behind maintaining his position?
She noted, furthermore, how the Adjuchas had gone, presumably to blame for the ex-Lieutenant's stance upon a precariously ancient oak; what direction it had taken was lost to her, for Shigeo appeared hellbent on dispatching his opponent by his own, sans informing the Taichou of the status quo.
Kurisuna was livid, but the plaintive, accusatory qualities wreathed about her face soon vanished, replaced by an alarmed up-tilt of the chin as, unsurprisingly, the branch cracked beneath the strain. Her katana angled downward indolently, with her passive hand propped at the waist, the red-maned Captain settled to spectate as Shigeo's silhouette came to life in an eye-blink of movement, committing her gaze to the remaining Arrancar.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2013 12:44:03 GMT -8
Shi was no fool nor did he ignore his surroundings after his sheathe strike connected. He was aiming to send the Shinigami tumbling down after all, though the possibility of following had not been considered. It was there, but Shi had not factored it in. Still, there was one thing going for the short Arrancar; he was still a Hollow and like the rest of his kind, worked off animal instinct to survive when human thought was in a tizzy.
And like the vulpine he was as an Adjuchas, Shi wasted no time in sizing up his new enemy, Zanpakuto held at the ready with the sheathe in the other. Both legs were bent and spread apart just enough to allow him a proper landing on a branch. Unlike his opponent, Shi was a light-weight, literally, and had only fortune that his quick full body jerk back to give him distance had set him to land with far less momentum. The branch whined though, indicating that it would not tolerate any more weight let alone more movement, and thus Shi resigned himself to remaining perched in place, center of gravity adjusted so he could be balanced.
Not that Shi was ever going to consider patting himself on the back as he had not one, but two enemies to deal with now. And just a quick look at the woman across from him caught his attention.
He had not encountered many women, Shinigami, human, or Arrancar, for longer than he deemed necessary. Thus, the sight of his opponent's possible assistance intrigued him; she was not only tall but had red hair that not even the moonlight could dilute it seemed. As soon as he looked at her, the Arrancar's mind went to work sizing her up as not only an opponent, but as a bizarre medic of a Hollow, solely to make what preparations he could for a list of suitable targets on her body. Though the process came to an understandable lull upon meeting her gaze like any true Arrancar would.
And promptly spoke.
"Shinigami," Shi stated, eyes only narrowed by a fraction of a centimeter. He could figure out what the cloak meant later, the woman had more of his attention than the man did.
Namely, as she was likely to be fresh where the other wasn't...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2013 8:29:13 GMT -8
Shigeo paused upon landing safely, taking a moment to catch his breath before glancing warily towards Kurisuna. "Saikokui-Taichou. I...did not expect to see you here," he said slowly, cautiously; their less-than-friendly encounter in the Third District was still fresh in his mind, and he honestly didn't know what to expect from her...though it did seem that her focus was on the Arrancar at the moment, a good sign. She is still an ally...I must trust in that. The thing with Kiba...Once again, Shigeo nipped that particular thought in the bud. It didn't bear dwelling on, not right now. "I am glad for any assistance you can give, though."
Shigeo's gaze returned to his opponent, now perched slightly closer to the ground. The small humanoid seemed as though he were ignoring Shigeo now, with every bit of his attention angled towards Kurisuna (who, contrarily, seemed quite relaxed, almost indifferent about the whole affair). Slowly, the eighth seat sidled closer towards the redhaired woman, his own muscles tensed. He would follow the Taichou's lead.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2013 15:00:52 GMT -8
Three millennia of animosity curdled in her stomach as Shigeo's opponent landed just so, at an angle conducive to revealing the blanched fragments of a Hollow's mask. She had kept the possibility of a second Arrancar sequestered in a mental quadrant, but the prospect of the beasts, the stark reminder of just how fortunate she'd been to have entered the world when she had seldom failed to arrest her attention, so bittersweet was the thought.
She had escaped the plague's devilish alchemy herself, three-thousand years ago. And Kurisuna would not deign harbor any respect for those who hadn't. ''I want it alive,'' she ordered Shigeo calmly, eyes bound to the blood-dappled portion of her blade that had claimed Ryuu's head; she had raised it before her face, and subjected it to the scrutiny of a diamond-gazer. The steel was blemished with no such imperfections. ''If our friend unwittingly proves himself unreasonable, take out his legs.''
Kurisuna swept the Zanpakutou to her side in a crisp, practiced stroke, fixing the male atop his perch. And she walked toward him, slowly, each step suspending the woman as if she were treading an indiscernible flight of stairs. ''I commend your ability to match our Lieutenants, Arrancar. A shame that you should have the misfortune of stumbling upon a Captain at this hour.'' Short of leveling off, she paused beyond Shi's range—she could fight the hapless male far more effectively from below if he were to (per the Taichou's estimations) decline her proposal.
''Allow me to present you with an ultimatum, you, a creature whose existence has drawn upon lesser evils since time immemorial. Surrender your blade to me,'' she outstretched her arm, designating Shigeo, ''and come with. Elsewise, I will do unto you as I have your curs, who come to us falsely and beset our villages. East of here, from your numbers, rots kith and kin.'' With an air of finality, Kurisuna flourished her blade and slipped into a stance. ''They fell like lambs to a slaughter. Will you tempt the devil and join them, Arrancar, mongrel of the Shinigami? Or will you heed my appeal, in the name of self-preservation?''
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2013 17:28:40 GMT -8
Shi took immediate note of the way the man addressed the woman, and a few questions surfaced in his mind only to be set aside. Clearly, there was a possible form of tension between the pair, though whether it could be used or not was unknown to him. He was however, intrigued that there was a clear sign of respect of power given to the woman. Clearly, she would be more of a danger than the man who frankly, did not impress Shi in the slightest.
The fact that they were both Shinigami only made his gaze colder, sharper, steeling him and allowing the short Arrancar to unsheathe the savage blade within. One that countless centuries of solitude and hatred had given birth to and sharpened. And being referred to as a mere thing put an edge on the blade like no other; thin and sharp to the point where it could cut with surgical precision the very word "it" from the woman's tongue.
The Shinigami woman however, had earned his attention with her orders, and remark. Enough to get him to stand up straight but kept his sheathe and zanpakuto out before tilting his head like the vulpine he had been born as, eyes narrowed at the blade pointed towards him. And more importantly, the fact that the woman actually walking on air towards him, yet another technique that he knew nothing of and in truth, was one that he was intrigued by. Though her words had a different effect on him at first.
Namely as he knew nothing of the significance of the term Lieutenant and Captain. Unless perhaps, it was similar to the terms Adjuchas and Arrancar, one greater and stronger than the other. Going along that line of thought, Shi felt his lips twitch in disappointment. She believed he was an equal to a Lieutenant? Clearly the woman was misinformed and assumed too much; however, if she was convinced of such thoughts, who was he to deny her the error of an incorrect comparison?
Especially if she had no idea just what he was capable of if he but uttered a single command and name. However, her last few words caught his attention, his interest. After all, self-preservation meant survival, life, continued existence in short and that was enough for Shi to be intrigued. Frankly, he expected her to go for the kill right then and there, yet she had not. Either the woman had a plan to trick him into an easy death, or, perhaps she had something more beneficial in mind to his life. Shi loathed her kind and Rukon Citizens alike, yet, he was not one to ignore a possibility.
Not blindly, at least.
"There is but one shame, that your companion could not kill the cur he was sent after," he began firmly. The young Hollow was disgusting in his eyes; a true Hollow would have attacked with the intent to kill or maim and then run. Not run and snivel like a wretch. "Then again, it is a shame I did not kill him before you arrived."
Let it be known that Shi was not one to mince words, let alone converse with any delicate manner. Especially as he curled his lips, disgusted by the mention of lesser evils; the greater evil existed in those that kept him within the wasteland! Yet, her words and speech intrigued him; she wanted him alive or dead? It was unclear, for surrendering his zanpakuto would be surrendering himself and his life. And Shi had lived too long to do so upon an order and suspicions of power, not to mention his dream of continuing to survive by taking a piece of the Shinigam's land for himself.
"Arrancar is no name of mine, but Shi is. What is the name of this Shinigami I find myself intrigued by?" he questioned, eyeing her carefully and weighing his options. If she was superior to the Shinigami, as he suspected, then it was likely she could be faster and no doubt more powerful; to run and give his back to her would be foolish, especially with the fodder she had with her.
"That I might know who it is that wishes for my surrender, perhaps to kill me with my own blade," suggested Shi, looking Kurisuna with cold skepticism. But she mentioned survival, and for now, he was willing to go along with her words, not that it meant Shi would not state the obvious facts of his mind.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2013 7:58:21 GMT -8
Shigeo was rather startled by Kurisuna's desire to take the Arrancar alive; he knew quite well of her history with the monsters, how her hatred had grown beyond the norm for shinigami towards the Hollows...nonetheless, he gave a sound of acknowledgement, keeping his blade at the ready in case the beast proved 'difficult.' The blond warrior kept pace with his superior, stopping several feet behind and to her left as she ascended to speak to Shi.
As he listened to the Hollow's responses, Shigeo's ire steadily rose. Him, kill me? Arrogant fool, he grumbled to himself, staring daggers up at Shi. Let him come down and see the truth of the matter. The hulking shinigami was quite confident in his swordsmanship, and would love dearly to see this Hollow's lifeblood soaking into the ground...however, he had his orders. Take the Hollow alive; cripple it, if he must, but not kill. A shame. He continued to hang back, waiting to see how the situation played out.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2013 11:06:09 GMT -8
''His failure to perform will earn him a slap on the wrist. Yours will cost you your life.'' Shigeo, she knew, was strong—she had instructed the man herself, had taught him a discipline men wept to peer. It did not come as a surprise to her, then, that the Arrancar had shown himself woefully incapable of eliminating his opponent in the generous span of time allotted to him; whereas she and Kiba had existed in the linear progression of minutes, of seconds, combatants fighting for their lives lived in the heartbeat of a compressed instance.
A quantum eternity had separated the pair's confrontation from Kurisuna's arrival. If the Arrancar had any real edge over Shigeo, he had fought unwisely.
''I've not come here to make an acquaintance of you, Hollow.'' Slowly, the thrill re-entered her. It seeped into her chest, spreading through unseen channels like an ink blot. This Arrancar would not rope her before the same pitfall he had tumbled into moments prior, when Shigeo had stalled for time. And though she doubted anybody, or anything would come to his rescue, the principles were one and the same: she did not have the patience to fuck around. ''Mind, I see you'll take some convincing...''
In a spasm of blackness, the swordswoman vanished at the decadent tip-off of a butterfly's wingbeat, flash-stepping across and below the Arrancar's perch; she would resurface at his rear, roughly leveled with the back of Shi's waistline, and swing broad and low, parallel to the Hollow's deplorably inadequate 'platform.' If she were to take out the male at the ankle, the battle was all but won, and to confront her would entail turning one's back to Shigeo—no doubt with lethal consequences.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2013 14:15:41 GMT -8
Failure to perform? Was this Shinigami mentally crippled or unhinged? Shi had no intention of just handing over his blade to some captain who gave him no name, no reason or assurance that his survival would truly be ensured by the surrender. All he had was her word, and to a Hollow, that meant nothing. Words did not ensure survival, they were little more than sounds in his book. It was not that he thought all Shinigami were liars and beasts to be put down; he merely judged others by their actions, as was his way. An intelligent and logical being's reasoning, at least, an Arrancar's reasoning. He ignored her remark about acquaintance, and was merely disappointed at her reasoning. All Shi wished to know was the name of this captain, just as he wished to know the names of any other Arrancar. It was as simple as that. As Shi listened to her, his mouth became a thin, dark line as he watched her quietly. Right until she vanished and instincts screamed at him; she had the same speed technique as the other Shinigami! Thoughts flew with lightning speed and a frontal assault would be just what he expected, yet Shi considered the woman like himself. An Arrancar, a pinnacle of power. With little else and the knowledge that she would no doubt go for a crippling blow as he intended to do, Shi jumped forward to the next branch, knowing he was putting himself in a horrible position. He was only fast enough to save himself from a permanently crippling blow. But not the crippling part, he still suffered a vicious strike to his Achilles tendons and the landing was that much more painful. In addition, he knew that retreat was no longer an option. Not like this, and with only one option, Shi began to pull reishi into his tendons to repair the damage. A long-shot and frankly, he had no intention of trying to fight. With little other option, Shi managed to at least adjust his stance to a defensive one, neck lowered like an animal accepting weakness and so his zanpakuto was positioned defensively behind him and his sheathe in front of him. "Is this your assurance of my self-preservation?" he spat out, teeth bared in cold fury with his eyes turning to cold spears. "I know you naught, nor do I know your words. Only your actions, which I must weigh you by as you weigh me by mine."Editted due to misunderstanding of anatomy.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2013 9:14:37 GMT -8
Shigeo's lips pulled back, his teeth bared in a grim, triumphant grin. Kurisuna's speed and skill with a blade, which she had passed to some extent to him, had proven too much for this beast; now crippled, likely to the point that it could not effectively fight (if at all, for that matter), it cowered on another branch, somewhat nearer to Shigeo now. As he tightened his grip on his blade's hilt, the eighth seat paused to take stock of the situation. His mobility is pretty much nonexistent, it seems; Saikokui-Taichou got his tendons. He's trying to guard himself against both of us at once...foolish, and ultimately futile. If I can cause a distraction for Saikokui-Taichou, then...
As the Arrancar began to chide Shigeo's superior, the ex-fukutaichou leapt into action, utilising shunpo once more (they were certainly taking their toll on his reiryoku reserves; he wasn't sure he could summon up another) to propel himself forward and upwards, returning to normal speed and visibility just above and before the blathering Hollow. His zanpakutou, lifted above his head, fell in an angled, powerful stroke, seeking to cut through Shi's shoulder and collarbone and cleave him in twain. Shigeo bellowed a war cry as he attacked, trusting that the immediate threat of his strike would provide Kurisuna the opening she needed to fully incapacitate this beast.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2013 7:18:55 GMT -8
Perhaps the evening would end on a positive note, after all, Kurisuna thought as she leapt onto the vacant branch. She could tell, from the depth her blade had penetrated the Arrancar's ankles, that Shi could not afford to fend off two Shinigami of their caliber; he would do best to allocate his efforts into stemming the flow of blood coursing from his disabled heels. ''This is assurance of your inability to defeat us in your current state. Don't be a fool, like the rest of your kind.''
As she had spoken, so had Shigeo leapt; at this, the delicate and unobtrusive Kurisuna, who had borne a soft, demure smile, sharpened ferociously. ''That'll be enough, Shigemitsu-san. You've performed admirably, but your friend is no longer a threat to either of us. Let him decide which path to tread.''
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2013 8:11:56 GMT -8
Shi scoffed in his mind at the woman’s remarks. Assurance, proper assurance would be to cripple him by cutting off his arms, not his tendons. Not to mention cutting out assumptions but that was another matter entirely. Still, she did at least go for crippling his legs which would require a great deal of time in repairing using his natural ability. He could at least feel the muscles beginning to knit together, but it would take him some time before they would be fully repaired and he’d need to be careful about it. For now, he would settle for at least repairing them well enough to decrease blood loss.
Speaking of loss, Shi honestly wondered if the male Shinigami was abnormally lucky, given the war cry he let out. It didn’t take much to react, nor did he require much movement. A simple jerk back, purposely stumbling in the process so he could put his back to bark and avoid the strike. He did not strike though, and merely glanced at Kurisuna with a narrow slanted eyebrow.
”You Shinigami are an unusual race, subterfuge seems to be one of your primary weapons,” he noted with simple acknowledgement. A talk of surrender followed by a crippling attack and the use of that speed technique again.
How fortunate, for Shi. They were using it far too much for their own good, and in his mind given that Shinigami held Zanpakuto as he did, it was more than likely possible to replicate the speed technique. Obviously, one of the abilities their races shared was responsible for the actual technique, it was only a matter of systematic selection and identification to figure out which, and then replicate it himself. Simple really, for a mind such as Shi’s.
Though of course, there was also the matter of surviving long enough to bastardize the technique for himself. ”If your dog is done baring his teeth, there is a matter of a paths that I presume are still available,” he stated with what could easily pass as irritation. He was already limited and injured as it was, any further and his survival would be out of reach as well as his zanpakuto.
Although, a simple thought of a few ideas and the knowledge of what his zanpakuto really was brought a possibility to mind. Namely, how strong the bond between himself and his true Hollow powers were…
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2013 9:21:14 GMT -8
A scowl formed on Shigeo's face as his attack on the Arrancar failed, and only deepened as Kurisuna reprimanded him for his effort; landing upon the branch the beast occupied, he eyed Shi coldly while giving Kurisuna a curt nod. Crippled though it might be, Shigeo didn't trust the beast one bit, and would keep a sharp eye out for any sort of treachery. Though he seethed at Shi's jibe (Dog, am I, we'll see how freely he spouts such insults when I'm done with him) he held his tongue and his ground, waiting to see how the situation would unfold. It did seem as though the Hollow was seeking a "peaceful" solution...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2013 10:28:08 GMT -8
Kurisuna guffawed at the Arrancar's affront to her own faction. Subterfuge! What a cynical brand of hypocrisy. ''Calling the kettle black, in your position, is not too smart. That's the thing with you Hollow, isn't it? You live your lives as shit stains smeared across the wastes, and you have the hubris to lower the Shinigami to your level.'' A pulse of anger clawed up her spine, her velvet voice warped into something low, something sinister. She had not reconciled with the notion that, beyond her division, beyond Seireitei, her captaincy was a commodity at best.
Now, Kurisuna was done pulling her punches, fact being that she was not nearly tolerant to the point of withstanding Shi's petty witticisms as if the tables had not tilted horrifically out of his favor. ''You think I need subterfuge to string you all over this tree? All right. I see you've decided to be a fool, but I'll grant you one last opportunity to relinquish your weapon.'' Her hand, her fingers, her head and facial features—all of these moving parts, separate yet interwoven—had conspired to form the silhouette of a woman whose patience had waxed and waned. Her arm projected to the Arrancar in an open-palmed command that he comply, that he 'wise up' at the last minute and hold his tongue, lest his life be forfeit. She did not doubt her ability to kill the abomination if even for a moment, especially the way it was tethered to the old oak. ''I'll show you subterfuge.''
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2013 12:09:35 GMT -8
Shi continued applying the natural gift his race was blessed with to mend the muscles. At the very least, the bleeding was decreasing and if he was lucky enough, he could perhaps keep himself from loosing any more blood. But healing himself completely in time to escape- ha! That was a fool’s wish and Shi was no fool. No, he had erred today and was not about to bring himself into death with anymore errs.
Not that his tongue would know how to do that. He had little to no social skills, he spoke directly and bluntly, and made remarks as they came to him. Not that he just blurted out anything, merely, Shi voiced his opinion with little social care and thought.
As he heard the remark from the woman, an eyebrow rose up. Calling the kettle black? What kettle? Such comparisons were simply unheard of to his ears, and he took a moment to stare at the woman before lowering his eyebrow as his gaze grew colder. “I live as I have been condemned to by your people, Shinigami. There is nothing to enjoy about fighting for survival in a wasteland, while Shinigami and Rukon Citizens alike prosper, even those that live closest to the hellhole I call existence,” he sharply remarked, already slipping his zanpakuto and sheathe together, returning the blade to it’s bed and gripped the sheathe firmly in his hands.
“I had intended to do such, before you decided to cut my ankles. My words are my own, my actions should have indicated such,” he continued, frowning while gripping the weapon, actually holding it towards Kurisuna with sharp anger in both eyes and lips curled in cold fury. He would have one more thing to say, to voice the reason for his actions. “My blade, Shinigami, is my surrender. And you have it,” he stated, positioning the zanpakuto and sheathe forward in such a manner that Kurisuna could see it was a clear surrender, and adjusted his stance to show that he was in little position to move within reach.
Though honestly, would she really expect him to just hop over to her branch? What disgusting creatures these Shinigami were, and this woman had already hacked her way up to the top of his shit list.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2013 12:58:53 GMT -8
Surprise crossed Shigeo's features briefly, his amazement at the Arrancar's willingness to surrender momentarily overcoming his discipline on the battlefield. Not such a stupid monster after all, he thought wryly of the Arrancar as it offered up its weapon to Kurisuna. The eighth seat recognized this moment as another prime opportunity to strike the creature down...but no. Saikokui-Taichou had given him his orders: they were to take this Hollow alive, for some reason. Shigeo didn't like it, but...there you were. He still kept his blade ready, of course, in case the Arrancar had a trick up its sleeve.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 10:42:10 GMT -8
As the Hollow had miraculously leapt, on spliced heels, unto a bough opposite hers, Kurisuna had but stretch her arm to obtain the sheath he'd presented; Shi could not have hopped very far at all, and the combined length of both scabbard and armspan would enable her to grasp the saya, which she secured besides the vacant casing of her drawn Zanpakutou. ''Cast away those rose-tinted glasses, Arrancar. The Rukongai is anything but prosperous, and saturated with men equally as despicable as the Hollow that come to ravage them. They oppose us, the Shinigami, their faithful drudges, about as often as they muster up the courage to actually oppose their attackers.''
She managed a small, wry smile, feeling emboldened, empowered. Kurisuna could not fathom what the Arrancar was experiencing; had this been what it was like to stand before the Shinigami as a simple man, a modest citizen of the three districts? To cower so lowly to the ground, bent under their might, powerless. ''You Hollow cull the weak from the herd. And I yearn to do the same to them.'' Why Kurisuna had raised the portcullis and elucidated upon her track of thought, she wasn't sure; what she did know, however, was that the trio had paltered about for too long, and it was high time she act, now that the beast's sword was in her possession.
Without the use of his heels, the Arrancar's motion spectrum would be restricted to an inadequate, flat-footed gait. And in a frenzy of movement, the Taichou lunged again, this time across the woefully short distance of ''as far as Shi could leap''; where Kurisuna's soles met thin air, she applied reiatsu, her weight slinging forward and unto the front foot as she thrust her katana for the unarmed male's abdomen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 11:19:19 GMT -8
Shi scowled at the woman, curling his lips in anger and irritation. What he wouldn’t give to rip the smugness out of her, limb by limb but he had gravely miscalculated his chances and erred with his plans. At least, to his knowledge, he could survive to rectify those mistakes as he scowled at her smile, his blood boiling. His ace was out of hand and frankly, the Arrancar had every feeling of weakness and vulnerability.
The kind he had not felt since his birth as a Hollow, and the brief time that led up to it.
“I will dream of ripping those infernal lips-” Whatever he had to say was pointless as the woman acted, blade in hand and her target no doubt being a vital point on his body. There was nothing he could do though, even with his intimate knowledge of the body. Both tendons were far too damaged to be of use, and given the woman’s great size and strength, no doubt, blocking with his hands was only going to get him killed faster.
Killed. He was actually going to be killed by a Shinigami. That was the thought that entered his mind as both arms flew down to try and block, but he was nowhere near fast enough to catch up- resulting in the zanpakuto penetrating flesh and muscle. Pain shot up through his mind, causing his eyes to widen at the cold steel that had come into his body and he immediately stared at the woman, surprise and shock coming into his eyes. When was the last time he had been dealt such a blow? Had he ever been dealt one?
His body trembled as the pain increased, and naturally, every fiber of his being came to realize that no amount of reishi would heal him. She tricked him, and he had underestimated her. “You…”
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 12:02:46 GMT -8
Shigeo never could understand women. Here was Kurisuna, first going against Shinigami code by planning to take a Hollow alive; the titanic male had problems understanding why anyone would accept a monster's surrender, let alone offer mercy to them. But of course, it was simply a ploy, a trick to disarm the already disabled Arrancar and leave it truly helpless, so the Taichou might cut it down with zero resistance (something Shigeo really should've known, all things considered).
The Arrancar was clearly doomed. It had no chance of recovery, no hope of escape, and the idea of it fighting back at this point was was laughable. Shigeo could simply sit back and watch this Hollow bleed out in agonizing pain. Yet, he felt he must contribute, having done little of note all night; taking a small step forward to close the small gap between himself and the Arrancar, Shigeo's blade swept across to his right, at the level of the beast's neck, which would likely see Shi's head separated from the rest of him.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2013 9:28:19 GMT -8
Detachedly, Kurisuna tracked the nonplussed Arrancar's gaze as it roved across his punctured abdomen, trying to piece together the momentous, pivotal seconds that would lead to his passing. She watched the shock pour into his eyes, and dutifully ebb away, subsiding to a swell of pain. This, she could appreciate about evolution. The expression of a man in steep decline had a certain flavor the mongrels of the Hollow, the Adjuchas, could never deign to replicate in their final throes.
But although the knell had chimed, she had not pierced Shi in a manner to precipitate a prompt death—no, she had been truthful about needing him alive, so his Zanpakutou would not grow brittle. ''Take good care of my katana for me,'' the Taichou murmured affectionately as she gave the handle a twist, exacerbating Shi's wound for good measure; she swirled to better oppose Shigeo, then, as he leapt on the initiative, and unsheathed the Arrancar's own blade to parry the executioner's strike. ''Watch. This is subterfuge.''
With the ex-Lieutenant's blade committed to a horizontal master-stroke, Kurisuna had but rear the double-edged katana to deflect from the inside, at which point she side-stepped into Shigeo's guard and struck for his exposed flank; whereas the blonde had fought and tethered himself to his bough, she was fresh from the fight, and suffered from no constraints of movement.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2013 12:50:54 GMT -8
Shi didn’t notice Shigeo, rather, the blonde Shinigami did not register to his senses. It was not unexpected for the short Arrancar to hyper-focus on a single aspect, the taichou before him in this case, despite his earlier precautions and awareness. She warranted full attention; he had underestimated her severally and overestimated himself, resulting in a grievous wound being received. The woman had deceived him and played him well, all the while he had attempted his own machinations and wound up going right into her trap. Worse yet, he knew that the estimations and attempts of his were no doubt resulting in his current fall into death.
In the back of his mind, he did not acknowledge the simple fact that the blow was not completely deadly. At least, by the standards of a Hollow with deadly meaning dead within the next minute if they were unlucky enough. It was a notch or two below at least, not that it would save his life even if he realized that completely. He did, however, acknowledge a new explosion of pain in his gut as the woman twisted her zanpakuto in his gut and his attention collected itself right onto her words and his gaze darted onto the woman’s being as she gave him an instruction.
And followed it to the letter, watching as she used his own zanpakuto to block what was an unaccounted for attack from her companion. Confusion entered his mind as well as shock and disbelief; what Hollow wouldn’t be feeling the same thing when watching a Shinigami block a killing blow meant for the target, the Hollow itself? And followed with what would be the third surprise for the night, a vicious strike aimed to no doubt do what he could not; gravely wound her “comrade”, if not kill him with the surprise attack.
Regardless, in Shi’s mind at least, if she killed her comrade or not there was one thing certain. This taichou was like himself, like an Arrancar; powerful, deadly, and a being that one should never estimate with otherwise the cost would be one’s life. A shame that he knew the cost, with the key to it being currently stuck in his gut with the coins flowing out of his body to prove it…
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 11:18:11 GMT -8
"Saikokui-Taichou, what are you doi-" Shigeo's alarmed query ended suddenly in a painful exhalation, a shocked expression accompanying the sudden flow of blood that stemmed from the deep wound in his side. Shigeo staggered back from his former mentor, lowering his sword and clapping his left hand to his side, precariously close to falling from his narrow perch and down to the ground below. His gaze returned to Kurisuna, flashing blue eyes revealing clearly his growing anger and emotional pain.
I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, thought Shigeo. I know...I can't win in a fight with her. Even if I were fresh, she's... Kurisuna had taught him nearly everything he knew about swordsmanship, and he added to that foundation wonderfully; however, she was a true master with a zanpakutou, and the eighth seat's weariness, not to mention the deep and debilitating wound, promised only death in his immediate future. "Kurisuna-san," he began, hesitating; his sword was half-raised, he was once again in a life-or-death situation, and yet it was hard to reconcile the memories he clung to of a powerful and admirable woman and warrior with this...murderer.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 4:41:33 GMT -8
A lethal blow dealt, Kurisuna swirled on light heels and leapt out of Shigeo's immediate reach. Remorse—both of regret and pity—bubbled up her throat, but she squashed the sensation. Her face had cleared, unwinding from the perpetual pinch of a dark scowl she'd worn well; for a, no, the moment, Kurisuna was as she had been so long ago, or at least as close as she could ever get, now, before the living attestation to her degeneracy would expire.
She stood, eyeing her student with a hint of shame, and waning regret. His death, she told herself, was a mandatory sacrifice (how often had she seen this exact premise go awry in fiction?) to galvanize any degree of change within the Gotei—the Shinigami had gotten lax, and slackened in their duties, to the point where the First had made little to no attempts at communicating with her division, and the Fifth no longer responded to the ongoing menace of Hollow. Shigeo's death was on their heads. She had done as the circumstances necessitated. ''We're beyond honorifics, Shigeo. I've failed you.''
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 10:25:50 GMT -8
Shi didn’t wonder the same question as this doomed Shinigami. In fact, he was wondering very little given his ever growing blood-loss. With coherent and focused thought, he might be able to at least estimate how much time he had left as far as consciousness went. As it was, he could only focus on two things at the moment; this Kurisuna who was clearly not only powerful, but cunning and dangerous to cut down her ‘comrade’ with his blade.
Simply put, in his mind, it was a well-played maneuver; his zanpakuto clearly differed from theirs and would likely fade away with his death. No evidence of her cutting down the man would be left behind, as only she would likely know of what happened.
The second thing he focused on was his own dream and desire that had been born of a young child turned Hollow; to return to the land he was born originally. In truth, that was the real desire Shi had that was twisted over the centuries and millennia into a Hollow version of the original wish. He barely recalled such things given his long life, in fact, Shi could not recall when the desire became one of retribution for his ‘banishment’ to the wasteland. The condemning of a young boy to live as a monster and demon amongst others, forced to change and become cold and savage to survive.
With the last few seconds of consciousness, Shi parted his lips as he coughed, blood dribbling down his chin as he spoke. “Kurisuna,” he paused for a moment and managed to summarize his thoughts into one sentence. "A name of power it seems...” he stated before his eyes glazed over and Shi fainted with the last ounce required to achieve it through blood loss.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 12:08:43 GMT -8
She failed him? The words coming from Kurisuna's mouth at first made as little sense as her recent actions, but the woman's rueful expression made Shigeo wonder. Given that she didn't pursue the eighth seat as he fell back, and that her posture didn't speak of any immediate threat to him, it almost seemed as if the Taichou had regained some measure of sanity. Lowering his zanpakutou a hair, Shigeo grimaced, replying in a low tone, "Very well, Kurisuna...I suppose you have failed me, in a way."
Why pretty up his words? He knew he was going to die, even if he was rushed to the 2nd Division; the blood flow from his wound had, if anything, increased, and he was beginning to feel a bit chilled. "I looked up to you, you know -- from the very beginning, and even up to this moment, despite all you said to me. All your rebukes and jibes. I had always hoped, somehow, that at your core you were still my sensei, the shinigami I most admired." Shigeo paused to shake his head slowly, his face grown visibly paler viewed in the mottled moonlight shining through the branches above. "But now...yes, Kurisuna. I looked up to you...and you repaid my trust with venom and now, death. You have failed me."
Holding up a hand to stem any possible interjections from Kurisuna, Shigeo drew in a slow, painful breath before continuing. "Whatever your actions towards me, towards Kiba...you have, at least, always done your duty to the Gotei. Maybe you didn't want me spreading word of your actions towards Shuchiku-Taichou throughout the ranks; maybe you have some as-of-yet unshared reason for attacking me, that will benefit the Gotei in some way. Whatever the case, resistance now would be...laughably futile." Shigeo's sword arm fell to his side, his azure eyes locked grimly on Kurisuna's amber. "Do what you think you must. Just make it quick. And...for what it's worth, better you than that." He nodded to the fallen Arrancar in disgust.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2013 9:46:28 GMT -8
Her lips opened, closed, and stemmed the flow of a motive she'd deemed Shigeo entitled to. His hand had belayed her, rewinding their temporal mainspring to eras long gone, times not worth revisiting, if only for how bleak the future constrasted in comparison; Kurisuna would be damned—thrice over today—if she were to deny the ex-Lieutenant that which most men are adjudged by: his final oration.
In the silence of their mutual enmity, a second crawled by. Then another. Though his sword had dipped, she was actively refusing his invitation. ''The woman you looked up to was a fraud,'' she stated suddenly, like punctuation. ''She worshipped the dead for their strength, forgetting she was strong. She taught warriors that power perceived may be power achieved, as if any one of you harbored the potential to compeer her in a thousand years.'' She raised the double-edged sword in appraisal, estimating the most reputable death. Something simple. The body must be returned whole-cloth. ''She cultivated weeds, wishing they'd supplant the rose.''
Time had been too kind to her, she realized, and had not yet etched its fine lines against her face. She held herself with an aplomb marked by patience, and a lifetime that had whittled her elegantly, such that in spite of Shigeo's size, she was not dwarfed by him, but brazenly characterized as a bold, frigid woman, never simpering, always erect in silent mutiny of the compressed universe that did revolve around her. In this regard, perhaps she had not yet lost all her petals; but the beauty was superficial, all symbolism lost on her.
''Nonetheless, I do not regret the time I've invested in you. You were always such a noble boy.'' She dared cast him a smile; if she were to protract the moment needlessly, she risked compromising her composure. ''When you look at me, who shamelessly resorts to petty acts of subterfuge, the superior swordsman is clear. You've flourished splendidly... for a weed.'' She stepped forward to the cadence of her stroke, once, then twice, and swung to slit the man's throat. It would be quick, as he'd demanded. Loss of consciousness occurred rapidly. ''Good bye, Shigeo.''
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