The Next Best Thing: Zeich v. Irudai

Crash!

Zeich’s eyes snapped open, his senses fully alert as he stood from his bed. The Third Seat had been spending his afternoon meditating once more, finding the inner calm that seemed to keep the Shadow at bay. This had become a daily routine for the past three weeks, as the dark being within his Inner World had seemed to become more and more active of late, and only that calm neutrality of emotions had any effect. Positive or negative, any strong, unsuppressed emotion would draw the Shadow like a moth to flame, and with it came his malice, his bloodlust, and the darkness that threatened to stain Zeich’s soul with its corrupting influence. The Third Seat refused to give in, however, and had slowly allowed himself to find the balance that would keep him sane and in control.

But then he had been awakened by a loud crash and the roar of voices outside. Several scenarios ran through Zeich’s mind, all treated with a detached and analytical view, the last vestiges of his meditative calm still remaining as he tried to react to the situation. It could be an attack; Hollows and Arrancar had broken into Soul Society several times in the past, and it would be no mean feat for them to do so again. The chaos outside and the ring of swords suggested it as a very strong possibility, one that could not be ignored. As both Captain Enma and Vice Captain Youji were away on other business at the moment, Zeich was considered to be the strongest member of Squad 7 present at the time, and thus it was his duty to repel any attack and defend the barracks to the best of his ability.

With that in mind, Zeich grabbed Haiiro from where it sat near his bed, leaning against the wall. The light katana slid easily into his belt, resting against his hip at its usual and proper place. As soon as his Zanpaktou was in place, the Third Seat headed out the door of his room and made his way out towards the courtyard, running at a light trot so as to get there quickly without wearing himself out; there would be little time for resting if a truly powerful Hollow was attacking the barracks. Zeich even considered releasing Haiiro before he got there, in order to be ready with his counterattack right at the start of the battle. Something told him he shouldn’t, however, a gut feeling that suggested that the chaos may be more innocuous than it seemed. For now, he kept his Zanpaktou sheathed and sealed, determined to get more information before acting.

Arriving at the courtyard, Zeich was a bit surprised at the sight before him; several of Squad 7’s members lay fallen across the cobblestones, but none of them were heavily injured. Many of them bore broken weapons, but everyone seemed well despite that. Amber eyes racing across the courtyard, Zeich caught sight of another man, a rather muscular one bearing a Vice Captain’s badge, taking down another of the unseated Shinigami. The Third Seat let out a sigh; his gut feeling was right. This was no attack, unless one counted an overzealous Shinigami’s attempt at finding someone strong to fight as an attack. This was not the first time, either; with Vice Captain Youji’s strength, he had been challenged by a number of opponents, though few came to the barracks and caused quite the mess that this one did. Did Squad 10 have no sense of responsibility or restraint?

An image of the Captain came to mind as Zeich recalled encountering him briefly, and the Third Seat sighed. No, I suppose they don’t…

Stepping across the courtyard lightly with his posture relaxed and his face neutral, albeit with some small signs of annoyance like that in the crease of his brow, Zeich came to a stop before the Vice Captain even as he threw down the Shinigami he was currently “fighting.” Calling it a fight was a joke, however, as the man’s strength had him overwhelming his opponent in a single swing. The man would know that he was standing before someone a tier up from the other grunts, at least with the confident and comfortable way in which Zeich carried himself. This was no unseated officer; most would realize that he was likely one of the higher-seated ones. The Third Seat’s eyes fell slightly to meet the other’s before he spoke, his words quiet and his tone unhurried, a strong contrast to the loud and energetic Vice Captain before him.

“Forgive me for not knowing your name, Vice Captain, but it appears that you are creating quite a commotion within the confines of the barracks. I don’t know why you have come or why you insist on battering our unseated officers about, but if you have a problem, please take it up with me. I am Third Seat Zeich Yajuu, acting representative of Squad 7 while both Captain Enma and Vice Captain Youji are away on other business. If you have an issue that requires attention, I will address it on their behalf. In the meantime, I ask that you cease your attacks on the other members of the squad.”

Zeich showed no emotion at the bared blade of the Vice Captain’s sword, though his body itched to react, to have his own weapon ready. Worry raced through his thoughts; would he be forced into a fight with this Vice Captain? Though he had advanced quickly himself, Zeich was not on par with a Vice Captain in strength, and certainly not one from a Squad whose focus was on battle capability. His own talents lay in attrition and the weakening of opponents rather than direct head-on confrontations, meaning that he fought at a careful distance, attacking only when opportunities presented themselves. Squad 10, on the other hand, was full of strong front-line fighters, and their Vice Captain was likely of the same cut as the rest.

Well, there was no help for it. Zeich knew that words would likely do nothing here, and that this man would only react to force. Unfortunately, force was not something he possessed. His words would not get through, and his strength would not be sufficient to convince the man of anything; so what was he to do? Zeich was not one who encouraged combat between Shinigami unless they were simple spars, but this felt like far more than a spar with the eager nature with which the Vice Captain spoke. This would be a battle, a duel of sorts, a clash between representatives of the two Squads. Yet there seemed to be no way to avoid it, and so Zeich mentally prepared himself for battle. He would have to fight, if it came down to it.

“If you do not have a pressing reason for causing trouble here, then please leave. I will only ask once.”

“As I said, Vice Captain Youji isn’t here.” Zeich’s response was quiet, his tone level despite his eyes narrowing in apparent annoyance. He could feel the irritation begin to build up, but it was quickly settled before it could become too strong. Already his calm was falling apart, the calm he had worked for all afternoon, and it was bound to get worse as this encounter continued. “I apologize that he could not be here to accept your challenge, but I would be more than happy to inform him of your arrival the next time I see him.” For some reason, though, Zeich felt as if that wouldn’t settle this situation at all. Something about this Vice Captain—Irudai, the name finally came to mind—suggested that he was willing to fight anything that offered.

And of course, the man’s offer came only a moment later. Zeich sighed inwardly; he should have known that announcing himself as the Squad’s strongest present member would have triggered such a challenge. Yes, he was a fairly strong combatant, and had his skills, but knowing how Squad 10 worked, he wouldn’t even begin to measure up. The gap between his physical abilities and Vice Captain Youji’s was immense; Zeich’s specialties lay in detainment, weakening, and attrition. He couldn’t match up to powerhouses like those from Squad 10 or even his own Vice Captain, and it would show if the battle commenced. Unfortunately, it seemed as though no wasn’t an answer, either; the Third Seat was going to be forced into this battle regardless of his feelings on the matter.

Preparing himself before the battle started, Zeich released a trace amount of Reiatsu through his body, specifically towards the brain, and closed off the emotional centers with the use of Gigei Mikon: Douzen Heisei. This technique allowed him to seal off emotions and fear, allowing him to think objectively in battle and act with only cool logic rather than worried emotions. It also gave him the ability to think more quickly, as there were fewer distractions in the way of his thought paths. A side use, however, was that it also suppressed the Shadow within Zeich’s Inner World; the dark being was drawn to strong emotions, fear and anger most particularly, and with them sealed away there was less chance of it coming out at a poor time.

Indeed, Irudai acted immediately, causing Zeich to tense as the man charged forward quickly, closing the distance between them. It was almost laughable, however; though he was faster than the average by a large margin, the Third Seat was still faster than Irudai’s speed by a good deal, and as a result he saw the attack coming, was ready to counter it. It wasn’t a fancy maneuver, either, at least not at first; Zeich reacted by bringing his hand up, palm out, and slamming it against the weapon’s bottom at an angle so as to stop the momentum of the attack by redirecting its force elsewhere, using Hakuda Defense: Do. This maneuver, which would have injured his hand should he have attacked it directly, allowed him to push the attack’s force to the side, causing a fairly light injury that only left his palm stinging slightly even as the weapon crashed into the ground.

“It seems you will not back down.” It was a statement, one that suggested Zeich was resigned to this battle. He didn’t like it, and in fact wished he could step out of it somehow, as this was a waste of his time and his energy. Even as he spoke, the Shinigami struck out with his own attack, his arm jolting forward with astonishing speed as he counterattacked using a combination of techniques. The first was Shunpo Karin, a specialized Shunpo focused on only one limb to increase its striking speed exponentially, allowing for sudden attacks at unexpected speeds. In this instance, Zeich’s fist slammed into Irudai’s chest almost a moment after he deflected the Vice Captain’s sword, an attack that would be difficult to dodge after being thrown off-balance mid-swing like he had.

Of course, Zeich was still at a heavy disadvantage; though he was fast, his strength was below par, and as a result his blow was not as impressive as it could be. He was stronger than the average, but even so his blow would at most drive Irudai back a few feet at best, less if he braced himself for the blow. But Zeich wasn’t aiming for a crippling or damaging blow; he only had to make contact for a brief moment to use one of his techniques, one that he would immediately activate as soon as his palm came in contact with the Vice Captain’s chest. A surge of Reiatsu would be released from his palm and into Irudai’s body, moving through it until it reached the optical nerves, enhancing them in the same way Zeich had enhanced his ability to suppress his emotions.

Kuro Gigei Mikon: Sagu Jinsei was an unusual technique that enhanced one sense for those it was used on. This had both offensive and support capabilities, depending on its use; when used on an ally, it could allow them to fight more efficiently using their heightened hearing or ability to sense movements in the air more readily through enhanced sense of touch. However, it had its drawbacks; the sense enhanced usually came with the downside that they were enhanced so highly that stimuli could overwhelm the augmented sense. In this case, Irudai’s sight was being boosted, but because of his already high sensory abilities, his vision would be very prone to overstimulation through light exposure. The sun was at its highest, meaning that it was very bright outside, which would make the man squint and be unable to see very well, due to how sharp his vision had gotten. This would make it harder to hit Zeich, as Irudai would have to slow and aim more carefully through the blinding light, allowing the Third Seat to avoid attacks much more easily than if Irudai had his full vision about him.

“I will ask you one last time to leave, Vice Captain. I do not care for this fight.” Zeich drew Haiiro from its sheath at his side, the metal of his Zanpaktou letting out a light rasp as the edge slid against its holder. The weapon was brought up in a two-handed stance; the Shinigami was not confident enough in his strength to attempt a one-handed stance like he used to back when he had a second Zanpaktou, and as a result he made sure he was properly braced. He suspected it would not help in the end, as Squad 10 tended to focus on those who were physically strong, those who were designed for physical combat. Odds were, a Vice Captain whose focus was in strength would easily best a Third Seat who did not. Still, Zeich held himself ready; anything could still happen in this battle.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1650/2000 (-100 from Gigei Mikon: Douzen Heisei [Natural Calm], -100 from Shunpo Karin, -150 from Kuro Gigei Mikon: Sagu Jinsei [Sharpen Instinct])

Sharpen Instinct Duration: 1/3

Zeich didn’t flinch as Irudai moved under his arm, the portions of his brain that regulated fear or worry still blocked off thanks to the Hakuda technique that allowed him to seal away his emotional concerns. Instead he analyzed the man’s motions using both his ability to understand and break down actions in the heat of combat along with his enhanced mental prowess, trying to get a better understanding for his opponent. The first thing that stood out was that Irudai was holding back; his speed jumped noticeably, and not just because of the Shunpo. The Vice Captain was actively moving faster in that last motion, meaning that he was likely holding back still; somehow, with Squad 10’s reputation as a melee squad, Zeich doubted this was all he could expect.

The flipping maneuver was an interesting one combining both dexterity and acrobatic practice, but it was one that would not serve Irudai well; his lack of skill in the latter left him skidding away as a result of his action, giving Zeich plenty of time to draw his sword. Had the situation been otherwise, the Third Seat would have still been in the process of doing so by the time his opponent closed the distance once more; he had gotten lucky in this situation, and couldn’t claim anything besides that. However, it gave him the ability to have his weapon out, to be prepared for attacks coming his way should he need them. He doubted he’d be able to meet his opponent’s physical strikes with his own weapon, but if he could turn or deflect the worst of them, then that would at least be one less thing to worry about.

Of course, it proved unnecessary as conversation followed the initial strike. Irudai’s indignant question afterwards might have drawn a slight smile were Zeich’s emotions not completely sealed off for the time being, but he answered coolly and calmly despite the accusations made towards him. “You may say that, you may feel like that is true, but I assure you that I care not one bit for this fight. You claim that I want to fight, that I’m looking for a challenge. You couldn’t be any more wrong.” Their eyes met briefly, and despite the fiery passion in the Vice Captain’s own gaze, he would see nothing but blank mirrors staring back at him. There was no eagerness in Zeich’s actions, no desire to bring this to blows, but Irudai refused to back down, and the Third Seat knew that he would not be allowed to leave. He was cornered on this one, and so resolved to fight in order to end this encounter as quickly as possible.

Then his opponent made the next move. Even as Irudai slashed at the ground, Zeich took a full step backwards and waved a hand down in front of his body. “Bakudo 26: Kyakko.” Stone and dust flew up from the impact of Irudai’s sword on the ground, fragments scratching Zeich’s body even as he raised his arms to defend his head. However, the spell had been completed without interruption, though there was no accompanying incantation to further strengthen it. The Third Seat was not worried, however, expecting that as a melee-type fighter, Irudai wouldn’t be able to break the spell that he had just cast, which hid his body through the bending of light, causing him to vanish from sight. That alone would not save him from Irudai’s strike, however, as the man came at him with an amazing amount of speed once more, forcing Zeich to push himself in order to keep up.

A Shunpo allowed the Third Seat to escape; a step upwards rather than to either side was his means of escape, using the Shunpo’s force in an upwards momentum rather than a sideways one. The cloud of dust would move with him, indicating the direction of movement, but Zeich stopped himself prematurely using another technique in mid-air. Advanced Air Ground was a useful technique, one that gave him the ability to create platforms of Reiatsu in the air, almost like air ground in the human world. However, this was different; not only did it give the user a place to stand, but it also provided its own gravity regardless of the direction in which the plane was angled. This allowed him to stand completely upside down as seen from the ground without falling, should he chose to do so. In this case, however, Zeich simply allowed himself to stop, letting the cloud of dust keep moving past him as though he were still moving, giving Irudai the impression that he was in a different location.

Of course, that wasn’t all; while the man was hopefully distracted for a moment or two, Zeich decided to move on the offensive. “Suppress, Haiiro.” He spoke quietly on purpose; though Irudai was roaring out whatever words seemed to string together in his mind and making a commotion along with the destruction of Squad 7’s courtyard, it couldn’t hurt to play on the side of caution so as to be unheard. The rush of Reiatsu, however, was not something that could be ignored or hidden, unfortunately; as soon as Haiiro’s power came forth, a blast of force from the Zanpaktou’s release would send the dust cloud away in all directions, leaving the air clear and revealing Zeich standing in midair.

However, that was not all that was revealed. Though the dust had been blown away, there was still a cloud of light gray surrounding Irudai. This cloud was formed of ash, the material that made up Haiiro’s released form. This was no ordinary ash, either; it was ash that clung to any surface Zeich chose, usually an opponent who became the victim of the Third Seat’s Shikai. From there, the ash literally sucked the Reiatsu out of its target, using that spiritual energy to remain attached to whatever surface it was stuck to. This allowed Zeich to literally drain the spiritual energy out of any target he fought against, meaning that he could win battles of attrition as long as he was careful with his own Reiatsu pool.

Of course, this would only be of limited use against Irudai, who used superior speed and strength in order to fight. If it was successful for long enough, Haiiro’s ash would siphon off enough Reiatsu to prevent use of the Vice Captain’s release, as well as block off Shunpo or any special physical attacks that would require the use of spiritual energy. It was more a side benefit in this battle; most enemies used their Reiatsu in numerous ways, but in a sheer physical battle Zeich was at a strong disadvantage. He wasn’t using Haiiro in its sword form, though; he wasn’t going to win by exchanging blows with Irudai, and in fact would find himself pressed to even defend himself against that enormous strength. No, if he wasn’t going to be able to use Haiiro in its sword form, he could use it in other ways.

The first of the ways would become immediately apparent even as the cloud became visible; the ash would immediately close in on Irudai from all sides, closing in on him quickly. It was specifically orienting towards the man’s head, however, and should he not find a way to avoid the ash encircling him, the Vice Captain would find it clinging to his head, blocking out his vision even as it filled his nose, ears, and mouth. This in general would dull all of his senses, causing him to have difficulty seeing, smelling or hearing, making it difficult to track Zeich at all. And it wasn’t just one section of the ash Zeich was using; instead, the Third Seat was making use of all of Haiiro’s ash to block off most of the man’s affected senses, reducing them below the amounts even an average human would have. This would at least slow him down in his attacks, as his senses would not be able to keep up with his speed, causing extreme disorientation unless he forcibly slowed himself down.

His trap sprung, Zeich let himself fall to the ground, landing lightly on his feet even as he did so. He was disarmed now, without a weapon to defend himself, yet he still held himself with confidence, comfortable in the battle’s current state. The Third Seat was not cocky or boisterous; he believed, quite frankly, that there was no winning this battle. However that did not stop him from trying to impede Irudai long enough for the man to see some sense; Zeich was still determined to see the man off with as little combat as possible. “Why are you fighting, Vice Captain? To prove you’re strong? To whom? If it’s to me, then you’ve already proven yourself. If it’s to my squadmates, then you’ve done so. Do you fight just for the sake of fighting? If so, then it’s a childish need to be better than others, a type of bullying especially when one’s opponent chooses not to respond in kind. Face it, you have no good reason for this unwarranted battle, especially when your challenge was declined. So I will ask you again to put up your sword. I do not wish to fight, especially not someone with your reasons.”

Remaining Reiatsu: 1250/2000 (-50 from Kyakko, -50 from Shunpo, -200 for Shikai, -100 for continued cost on Natural Calm, -200 for initial cost of Haiiro Masaku)

Shikai: 1/10

Natural Calm Post Effect: 2/5 (Disorientation) || 2/10 (Emotional Burn-Out)

((EDIT: Forgot to include cost of Haiiro Masaku. Pardon.))

Zeich was surprised by the ferocity of Irudai’s attack as the man came at him again, swinging his weapon in a powerful arc. The blast of wind from the force of the attack blew away Haiiro’s ash, spreading it in all directions and causing it to miss. That was certainly an effective way of negating his ash, one that would cause problems; suddenly Zeich found himself without his Shikai’s main ability to assist him. When it came down to simple brute combat, he was at a disadvantage; he needed his Zanpaktou to assist him in the battle, or he would simply be overwhelmed. As it was, Irudai’s strength and speed were becoming more and more impressive as he held back less, forcing Zeich’s back into a corner.

Irudai’s assault continued, and Zeich was forced to keep up with his footwork, slowly backing away in order to avoid being slashed by the powerful blades. One whistled past his face even as he jerked back, narrowly avoiding a deadly strike that could have crippled him. Another sliced into the sleeve over his right shoulder, leaving a deep tear and nicking the skin beneath despite the Third Seat’s high speed; Irudai’s own agility was impressive! None of the hits landed solidly right away, but Zeich was given no room, no quarter to begin to even counterattack. His concentration was solely on defense, on the evasion of Irudai’s strikes, lest any of them injure him severely. No, the Third Seat had an idea of his opponent’s strength now, and he knew that any one hit could spell the end for him.

The worst part was that complete escape was difficult; Irudai’s strength gave his blows enough force that even if the blades did not cut into Zeich’s body, the blast from their movements sent him stumbling back. He couldn’t plant his feet firmly enough to get a Shunpo off, and if he tried to do one in the middle of that barrage, he’d be off-balance and likely stumble or end up way off course, potentially into one of those slashing blades. No, Zeich couldn’t afford to use a step technique without regaining his balance first, and to do that he would require Irudai’s assault to end… but with his strength and likely high stamina, the Vice Captain wouldn’t let up any time soon. No, Zeich had to find another way to get out of this predicament if he wanted even a chance of fighting back.

Then an idea hit him; instead of fighting against Irudai’s wave of attacks, why not use them to his advantage? Were his emotions not locked down, Zeich might have smiled slightly; instead, his eyes merely narrowed as he suddenly pressed his feet into the ground for a brief moment and leapt backwards, knowing that it was an ill-balanced movement that would likely have him falling backwards. However, he did so intentionally, getting his feet completely clear of the ground even as Irudai’s next slash came at him. The blast from the force of the swing caught Zeich out of the air and threw him backwards a fair distance, giving the Third Seat the space he wanted between himself and Irudai to begin his counterattack.

“You’re cocky.” Indeed, Irudai would find that his choice of attack had indeed been foolhardy, too focused on what was in front of him. In that time, Zeich had commanded his ash to come in from behind the Vice Captain, using the man’s blind spot in order to prevent him from countering his Shikai. Irudai’s slashes actually worked against him in this as well; whether they were horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, the man’s attacks were so powerful that they were drawing air about in front of them, creating a high-pressure zone in front of him in the form of air slashes. However, doing so created a low-pressure zone in the wake of the slashes, and as air moved from higher to lower pressure, it created a vacuum-like effect that sucked the ash in more quickly, allowing it to move faster than normal, which was Zeich’s own speed. In other words, Irudai’s own attack literally sucked the ash in towards him thanks to its power rather than blowing it away, and all because the ash had come in from behind.

The ash from Haiiro would wrap around Irudai’s head for real this time, with little room to avoid it; with the man’s focus forward, he would be unable to see the silent ash coming in from behind him, drawn in by his own attacks. Instead, the Vice Captain would find himself seeing very little at all as the ash locked around his face, blocking his eyes, nose, and ears particularly to reduce his senses significantly. Zeich had put all of Haiiro’s ash into the Haiiro Masaku technique, removing most of Irudai’s ability to use his senses. Atop that, any of his techniques would be more expensive as the ash’s main property of suppressing Reiatsu came into effect, meaning that if he tried to channel his Reiatsu at all, Irudai would find it more taxing, more difficult to do. Zeich’s ash was not for directly offensive purposes; instead it was for attrition, for wearing down foes.

As all of this was happening, Zeich was sent flying backwards thanks to the force of Irudai’s slash, and he came up to the courtyard’s wall even as he did so. Using his minor acrobatics skill, the Third Seat was able to angle his body to impact the wall feet-first, giving him a moment’s worth of solid landing, all that he needed. “Bakudo 26: Kyakko.” Once more, Zeich vanished, even as a Shunpo had him launching upwards onto another Advanced Air Ground platform. With Irudai’s senses reduced, he wouldn’t be able to detect any sort of motion that would give away the Third Seat’s position, giving Zeich an undetectable position as he considered his next move. The lower-ranked Shinigami had cautiously created his platform off to the left and upwards, opposite his apparently dominant hand, which was the direction in which many people tended to gravitate towards. This was for the sake of preventing predictable movement, lest Irudai get lucky with a randomly-aimed swing.

What now? Zeich found himself contemplating his next move as he stood above his opponent. He was quite literally stumped for options; in close range, Irudai’s excessive strength and speed would overpower the Third Seat, meaning that Zeich’s main form of attack was completely locked out. The only way he could do any damage was to slip in and out with his own fast strikes, but even with Irudai’s senses locked up, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t be able to detect Zeich coming or get in a lucky strike. After all, Haiiro Masuku couldn’t block out all of the man’s ability to detect things; there was a chance that Irudai would manage to catch him anyway and react fast enough to strike before the Third Seat could retreat.

Not much help for it… it’s the only way I can attack. This is going to burn a lot of my reserves, though. With that, Zeich dropped carefully to the ground, his boots making only the slightest sound as he landed, sounds that would be missed thanks to Irudai’s reduced sensory abilities. Immediately after landing he performed another Shunpo, closing the distance between the two of them in a moment. His speed would come suddenly, especially with Irudai’s senses so bogged down that his reactions would be slowed due to the delay of stimuli reaching him. Zeich was at the man’s back in a moment, and Reiatsu surged through his arms even as he released one of his strongest techniques, one he would not normally use on a Shinigami due to its potential damaging force. Nonetheless, it was required in this fight.

Suddenly the Third Seat’s arms shot forward in a hundred powerful punches all moving at exceptional speed, the blows faster than even Irudai’s movement speed. The hits would slam into the Vice Captain’s back with incredible force if he did not react in time, and who could say that he could do so easily? With his senses locked down, combined with the sudden ferocity and speed of the attack, Irudai would not have expected a blow to come quite so suddenly from Zeich. Atop that, the Third Seat had not been on the offensive most of the battle, instead retreating or keeping back, trying to subdue rather than attack. No, there were a number of factors that would make this a surprising attack, and with blows that were almost three-fourths Irudai’s own massive strength, the attack would be devastating should it land. It was up to the Vice Captain to determine if he was able to avoid the attack.

Remaining Reiatsu: 575/2000 (-50 from Kyakko, -100 from Shunpo x2, -25 for Advanced Air Ground, -200 for Haiiro Masaku, -400 for Gigei Mikon: Hyaku Shikon)

Shikai: 2/10

Natural Calm Post Effect: 3/5 (Disorientation) || 3/10 (Emotional Burn-Out)

Master, danger!

Too late, I can’t…! Suddenly pain lanced through Zeich’s calm, and though his technique allowed him to block the adrenaline rush and panic that would come upon receiving a serious injury, it would not allow him to avoid the objective conclusion: he had been hit. A glance downwards had Zeich’s eyes widen as he saw the gash ripped across his chest, tearing through his jacket and letting loose a spray of red. Blood leaked from the injury even after the initial spray, staining the area around the wound crimson and causing the cloth to stick to the spot even where it was torn away; as he staggered back, the Third Seat’s eyes narrowed, one hand immediately clutching the wound and discovering it to be superficial, deep enough to draw blood but not one that was potentially fatal.

What was worse, he had outmaneuvered himself in his hasty evasion of Irudai’s attacks; Haiiro’s ash was blasted away as the man caught onto the trick thanks to the shadow the ash caused. The vacuum had been a clever trick, one that had a high chance of success, but the downside to such a tactic was that the ash clumped together as the air moved to a low pressure zone, giving the entirety of the cloud enough mass to create a shadow. This had alerted Irudai, who had moved away with a Shunpo, one of the few moves that the Vice Captain had used throughout the battle, burning little Reiatsu compared to the amount that Zeich was constantly releasing given the difficult battle he was in. With the man’s immense speed, there was no way that the ash would keep up, and indeed it was blasted away from the force of the step.

Zeich had kept up his counterattack regardless of his opponent’s defenses, attempting to make even a dent on the man’s defenses, but his injury was making his head swim and causing him to develop nausea, weakening his ability to think as the pain constantly demanded attention. The Third Seat had not noticed the footprints he had left in the rubble and dust everywhere, though he was surprised that anyone could, given the overall mess and what little impression his feet would make in the courtyard. Nonetheless, he had been caught thanks to that, and his best attack blocked; the first hit had struck solidly, a blow that was impressive comparative to Zeich’s normal fighting ability, but Irudai’s overwhelming strength was just too much, and his counter knocked the Third Seat backwards in recoil, unable to recover right away.

A blast of air signified another flash step, and Zeich wisely covered his eyes with one hand and his mouth with the other; he had seen the cloud of dust and soil that had shot up from the original attack, and didn’t care to be blinded nor choke on the rising cloud. He was already breathing heavily; the battle was taking its toll on him, and he was tiring quickly. The injury wasn’t helping either, reducing his stamina that much more as he lost blood, weakening him overall. It wouldn’t be long before he’d collapse, meaning that he had to wrap things up soon, for better or worse. Maybe offering a forfeit would help, though thinking about it, Zeich could only see things getting worse. Irudai would fly into a rage if he was denied his victory, and throwing the match would be too obvious. No, for what it was worth, the Third Seat had to see this battle to its end and assure the Vice Captain that the man was indeed the stronger of the two of them.

Master, are you going to be able to continue combat with the state you’re in? Though he showed no outward sign, inside Zeich gave a soft nod of his head, indicating that he was fine to continue. He was tired, his body ached, his arms throbbed, and his chest felt like it was on fire, but he was still able to fight. If he had nothing else, the Third Seat had a fair deal of endurance, and could take his beating a little longer. Despite his flagging stamina, he still forced himself to stand tall, to face what was coming to him. Pride did not factor into it, as all of his emotions were locked away, yet for some reason he did not want to just let it lie, to give up. He would not give up. He would not quit.

I will not… Zeich forced himself to stand tall, his amber eyes lighting up even as he let his Natural Calm technique fade away. It was starting to take his toll on his Reiatsu reserves, and soon it would begin to cause dizziness and disorientation from the backed-up emotions, so it needed to be deactivated anyway. Those same eyes narrowed with focus, the intensity of the Third Seat’s emotion starting to filter through as they lit with their own inner fire. “I will not…” The words were barely a mumble as the Shinigami raised one hand to his side, summoning Haiiro into a physical form in his hand through the use of his Haiiro Ken technique.

“I will not… give up…” The words were still faint, likely inaudible over Irudai’s roaring. The man had released his Shikai and was screaming something about fighting at his fullest, but to Zeich it was just an unnecessary buzzing in his ear. His eyes were focused on his opponent’s as he brought up Haiiro before him. The weapon was a wicked-looking curved sword, the blade’s edge layered with thick, spiked ridges that would not only cut into flesh if they hit, but would also tear thick gouges on the exit as well, making it a devastating weapon. The only downside was that the sword was fragile, formed of ash and easier to tear apart through a physical blow. Simple wind blasts from a sword swing wouldn’t do it, but the weapon itself was able to be sliced through much more easily than spiritual steel could. It made Haiiro Ken a difficult weapon to use, but Zeich had one advantage with it, allowing him to form weapons quickly even if one was broken, so as not to lose a blade permanently in battle.

Suddenly a burst of force and wind appeared before Zeich in the form of the Vice Captain, and the Third Seat’s eyes widened; the man had been fast before, but this was beyond that by far. The step threw dust and sediment into his face, but because of that, Zeich jerked reflexively; automatically, an Advanced Air Ground wall came up to block the dust, forcing it to either side. This allowed him to see, allowed him to watch as Irudai’s fist came forward in an explosive blow, knife extended to stab at the Third Seat as the attack came. The dust and dirt were all blasted aside, funneled by the wall, but Irudai’s attack was not; the force of the air around his hand shattered the wall as he struck forward, the surface no barrier to his attack. It did give Zeich a bare moment of reaction time, even as the blast lifted him up, and he reacted quickly, doing his best to even try and keep up.

Another platform appeared before Zeich even as his feet left the dirt, angled so that his feet were planted against it. He quickly pushed off with a Shunpo that had him moving slightly to the left, avoiding the actual punch, though there was no way he was going to avoid the air blast that it created. Irudai’s swing alone created a fist of air, metaphorically speaking, that struck him mid-step right at the side of his body. Ribs creaked and groaned, one even breaking from the grazing impact as the Third Seat was sent spinning away, crashing roughly to the ground from his terminated step. Fire blossomed through his torso again as his injured ribs combined with the cut in his chest both demanded their toll in pain from him at once. Gasping at the stabs of agony rolling through him, Zeich clutched at the wound in his side, willing his body to get up. His whole body hurt from the rough landing, and his breathing was coming roughly, both from his exhaustion and his injuries.

Master, let it go! You can’t fight much more like this, you’re going to hurt yourself far worse! Zeich almost didn’t hear as his Zanpaktou spoke to him, even though he was still holding a weapon manifested from Haiiro’s ash. His head was spinning, and hurt; it was likely the fall had given him a minor concussion. Nausea whirled up again, making his throat burn and his stomach heave, but the Third Seat slowly pushed himself up from the ground, holding onto his side with one hand. His legs shook beneath him and his whole body felt like a mass of bruises, but he struggled to stand once more, holding himself up somewhat weakly.

Forget it, mutt, he won’t listen to you. Just let the fool fall, so that I can take what is mine.

“Shut up!” Zeich wasn’t aware that he was speaking out loud, the battle fading around him as his vision blurred. The battlefield seemed to vanish, leaving a haze about him; all he saw was himself and the figure opposite him, a man whose face he could not see through his swimming vision. Who was he fighting? A… Vice Captain…? The concussion was starting to make his thoughts fuzzy, his mind filling in the gaps for him in jolts and pieces. No, no that figure was too strong to be a Vice Captain. The indistinct features, the confident and powerful way in which it moved… could it be the Shadow, come to haunt him again? That aggressiveness, that power, that strength… it had to be, it had to be!

Now, now, is that any way to talk to your master, boy? Come on, now, maybe if you beg I’ll spare you from the pain you’re going through. Or even better, close your eyes and give me your body, and I’ll take you away from all of the pain…

“SHUT UP!” Zeich suddenly lunged forward, angry at the voice in his head, angry at the Shadow that seemed to stand before him. Amber eyes widened in a burning rage that consumed Zeich for only the second time in his recent memories, and his blade came up as he slashed at the figure before him. It was a fast slash, coming upwards at an angle from right to left. What made it faster was the use of the Shunpo Karin technique, which accelerated Zeich’s arm even further, allowing it to slice through the air with a sudden movement. Nothing else went through the Third Seat’s mind right now but the thought of attacking, of tearing through the figure before him. He could almost see that mask before him, glowing yellow eyes glittering behind it, a face that was his hidden beneath the disguise even as its lips curled into a sneering smile.

“Die, you monster!”

Now tell me: who is the real monster here, now…?

Remaining Reiatsu: 325/2000 (-50 for Haiiro Ken, -50 for Advanced Air Ground x2, -50 for Shunpo, -100 for Shunpo Karin)

Shikai: 3/10

“You’ve lost your mind…”

You’ve lost your mind, and now you’ll lose your body…

Words. Zeich could barely make out who the words belonged to as he found his wrist grabbed and held before him, struggling to get free. Whoever the hand belonged to, that person had a strong grip, far stronger than his own, and he couldn’t slip away. Instead of listening, however, he let out an almost inhuman snarl of anger, his free hand lashing forward. A weapon of ash formed in his palm even as he did so, a long, simple dagger that came jabbing forward towards Irudai’s eye in an attempt to tear it out of its socket. Zeich wasn’t even aware he was fighting a human anymore; all he could see was that mask, those golden eyes mocking him from behind the twisted, demonic mask. His face was on the other side of that guise, his face with those wretched, glowing eyes and that horrific smirk. He would destroy it, destroy it!

”If you keep attacking me you're just gonna die, and that'd be boring…”

“If you keep attacking, I’m just going to kill you. Don’t make it boring, now!”

“Shut up! SHUT UP! You won’t… I won’t let you… you won’t…!” Zeich’s words were mere babbling at this point, as if he had truly lost his mind. If Irudai was concerned, no one could blame him; the Third Seat he was fighting seemed to have simply snapped, and was literally writhing about trying to stab at his opponent with his free hand. If that was grabbed, he’d begin kicking, trying his hardest to attack physically, to free himself from the monster in his mind, the one that his hysteria-induced hallucination painted over Irudai. Those golden eyes were staring at him, watching him, amused by him! No, he would not accept that mocking, condescending expression! He wouldn’t stand for it!

You have no say in the matter. Now, I will take what’s mine…

Suddenly the Shadow loomed clearly in Zeich’s mind, his mask removed. The grim parody of his face stared back at him, lines of hatred and malicious joy at seeing the Shinigami’s weakness twisting his features into that of a monster’s. Fanged teeth were revealed as those lips curled back in a sneer of victory, while those shimmering eyes pierced straight through Zeich’s heart, paralyzing the barely-conscious Shinigami. In a state of mind that had him shifting rapidly from his Inner World to the real world, the Third Seat couldn’t even get up as the Shadow approached him, a hand extended. Claws, not nails, emerged from the tips of his fingers, and glistened in the moonlight. And then, even as Zeich watched, that hand stabbed forward, into his chest, piercing beyond the flesh and into the soul itself.

You are mine, now…



((OOC: From this point on, it’s purely cinematic. At this point Irudai has officially won the battle.))

Play This!

The body in front of Irudai went limp all of a sudden. Still standing, Zeich’s whole body had lost any form of tension as it drooped, as though from exhaustion, and he went completely quiet. The hysteria had ended, the sudden berserk assault just stopping without a word. Had he simply run out of steam, collapsing as his stamina gave out? Had his mind snapped, to the point where he had just stopped and collapsed? Regardless of the reason, the Third Seat had practically collapsed, though he was still on his feet. He was quiet and still, both a strange contrast to the crazed thrashing and yelling only a moment before. It was an odd turnaround, one that was either suspicious or worrisome, depending on Irudai’s view of it.

Then the first pulse came. It was an odd energy, one that even Irudai could sense due to his proximity. It felt… strange. Even Irudai would recognize it as such, despite his inability to normally sense energy. Something about that Reiatsu—for that was what it was, spiritual energy flowing from the Third Seat—felt heavy, oppressive, malicious. The more poetic might even call it an “evil” feeling. But there was one pulse, and then silence. Another came after a moment or two, once more originating from Zeich. Irudai could feel a Reiatsu welling up from deep inside the weaker Shinigami, feel it growing, swelling out, overflowing. And it was that same dark feeling that he had felt from the two pulses before.

“So, this battle is too boring and tedious for you, is it…?” The boy’s voice had changed slightly, losing its cold, neutral tone and instead dripping with acid and malice. His hair hung loosely around his face, freed during the fight at some point, but even so Irudai would be able to see a smile forming on Zeich’s lips, a spiteful sneer that seemed out of place on the normally stoic boy’s face. His teeth looked… odd, several of them very slightly pointed, almost like fangs. “My apologies for wasting your time, then. I wasn’t feeling quite right, and was holding back… but now, I suppose, you want me to take it seriously…”

Suddenly there was a blur of movement, so fast even Irudai could barely follow it. Zeich’s free hand lashed upwards, striking towards the Third Seat’s cheek. A flash of fire seemed to come into existence, to Irudai’s nerves, and he’d feel something wet and warm running down his cheek, from right beneath his right eye. Blood. The blow had struck blood! But how? Zeich had been carrying no weapon, and had not formed a sword or dagger with Haiiro Ken. Either would have been obviously visible, yet somehow the boy had torn a large cut across Irudai’s face with that one movement. It seemed impossible to consider, unless Zeich had grown claws in the last few minutes!

A glance, however, would reveal that such was the case. Zeich’s free hand was coated with Haiiro’s ash, and rather than forming a sword, the ash had been shaped into razor-sharp claws whose tips were now painted a soft red color thanks to the blood coating them. Three deep cuts, one for each claw stained with the crimson liquid, adorned Irudai’s face now. None of them were serious, doing more than tearing the muscle beneath slightly, but the fact was that Zeich had managed to land a blow at all, given how badly he had been tossed around for the entirety of the fight. It wasn’t that his speed had gone up either; the attack had been the same speed as any of the Third Seat’s Shunpo Karin, but the trick to it was that it had been completely unpredictable. There was no telegraphing, no body language to suggest it had been done on anything but blind instinct. The attack had come without conscious thought, just happening, and it was that unpredictability, the lack of warning, that allowed the strike to land. This was another sign that something was up; Zeich was a reactive fighter, but he acted in accordance to his opponent, looking for openings as he fought. This… there was no thought to it at all.

“How’s that, Vice Captain? I could have taken out your eye, but I think it would have been too messy… imagine all the blood I’d have to clean off of my clothes.” The hand was raised to Zeich’s face, and his tongue darted out from between his lips, barely touching one of the blood-stained claw tips. A half-hearted taste of the blood was all he took, his lips curling back into that sneer again even as he flicked his hand to the side, splashing the blood off of his hand across the ground. “Mm… it’s been a while… I haven’t felt this rush, this feeling of bloodlust in… years… since the day I left the World of the Living…” A short, barking laugh came, a chilling sound. “Those fools… they all died at my hands, and I practically bathed in their blood… it was so wonderful… and it’s been so long…”

Suddenly Zeich’s head came up, and golden eyes, brighter and more reflective than the soft amber they had been before, met Irudai’s. Traces of black lines ran through the sclera, almost like veins, though they seemed to twist and writhe if Irudai looked too closely at them. The Third Seat’s sneer was back, pointed teeth visible in the noon sun. “Well then, sorry to keep you waiting so long, Vice Captain. Shall we take this battle seriously again? If so, let go of my wrist… I’d like to feel both hands around your throat!” With that, he lunged again, his free hand with its pointed claws stabbing at Irudai’s throat. This one was slower, more obvious; was it a feint, a ruse? Regardless, it was an attack to be worried about, one that would literally rip out Irudai’s throat if he didn’t avoid it.