Iron Champion: Irudai Izumi vs Kenryoku Kawada

"But the building is not your opponent, Squad 10 Lieutenant." a voice echoed, resounding within the deserted building. From behind an untouched column, he had been in hiding, watching, learning, and observing. Stepping out was a matter of ease, and was done in a fluent motion after the former, the one from the tenth division, had already massacred a lot of the room, clearing it of obstacles that would otherwise have posed as annoying in the fight. At last, it was more clear for a decisive and easy battle. That was all that was required for it to begin.

The one who had stepped forth was adorned in only a black robe, as was expected of the Shinigami to wear, and which was traditional in every way. At his side, he had his Zanpakuto. Ordinarily, perhaps, he would have worn a different outfit, but he found on this day that the regular one would suffice. He had not even bothered to bring his Haori, which had been something new he'd acquired just within the last few weeks. No, he was no longer the Lieutenant in Squad 13. That was long past. The man with neat blond hair and icy blue eyes colder than any Arctic storm was a Captain.

He was the Captain of Squad 2, Kenryoku Kawada. He had come to defeat the man known as Irudai Izumi, for this tournament had the potential to be of great value to the Kawadas, if rumors were true. As a Kawada, he must do everything that he could to further that noble family. The Kawadas were a prestigious, powerful family, yet they had suffered their noble losses, their shame, and their disgrace. For too long they had been a shadow under the boot of the other noble families. In recent years they had grown stronger, but Kenryoku wanted them to be stronger still. There would be no stopping until they were the boot, and all else the shadow.

Reviving the Kawada family is everything, and failure is nothing...

It was Kenryoku's creed, and he wore it like a badge. He did not even draw his sword as he stepped forth to greet the man that he would slay. Kenryoku stepped forwards, cracking his knuckles, one at a time. He had watched and gauged the man. Irudai had more physical strength than Kenryoku did, but the latter had more physical speed. This meant that the match could potentially be very close, or otherwise it could be a disaster for one or both of the parties. What mattered was who got the first hit. The very first hit, Kenryoku realized, could well decide who would have the advantage for the remainder of the battle.

His eyes narrowed.

Kenryoku's Remaining Reiatsu: 2270/2670 Reiatsu

Meiunatsuin: 1/13

"Bow, or meet your end."

OOC: I just changed my skills because I realized Battle Learning is outdated.

"I have nothing to prove to you." Kenryoku said, his Zanpakuto sheathed at his side. He held up his left hand, studying it carefully, and then clenched it into a fist, and held that a few inches in front of his face, just beneath his corresponding eye. Kenryoku slid back his right leg, planting himself at the center, but staying light on his toes. He brought up his right fist, also just under the corresponding eye, clenched tightly, nearer to his face than the left was. It was a boxing stance. Irudai was strong, but Kenryoku had no intention of losing to the likes of a Vice Captain, even if that Vice Captain came from Squad 10.

Kenryoku remained in his immobile position, that readied boxing stance. He was truly prepared for anything, even if that anything could be troubling later. What he had heard of Irudai was enough to put him on guard. This man had taken out a Captain before, and done so in a single hit. This man had battled at the same level as an Espada, and was known for defeating enemies with just the first attack. There was no reason for the newly promoted Captain of Squad 2 to be reckless. While his victory was assured, this was only because of his skill and his power. Part of his skill implied not underestimating his opponent.

Kenryoku considered his victory assured, but knew that in order to keep that statement true, he needed to be smart about combat. If he went for it and gave Irudai the opportunity to retaliate at a close range, then the fight would not last very long. Kenryoku was painfully aware that in order to defeat Irudai, he would need his all. That was why for that moment, he would save up his reiatsu and allow his Meiunatsuin to gather power. If Kenryoku could last just long enough to release that seal, then there was nothing Irudai would be able to do to stop or defeat him.

Kenryoku's Remaining Reiatsu: 2270/2670 Reiatsu

Meiunatsuin: 2/13

Kenryoku stepped far to the side with incredible speed. Even restricted by his Meiunatsuin, Kenryoku was very fast, even faster than a physical combatant like Irudai. He saw no point or efficiency in holding himself back when he already had a sealing technique keeping him pent up, so a simple dodge was all that it took for Kenryoku, given he held nothing back. He was out of the way of the column easily, moving backwards so that it fell in front of him. It crackled and crumbled and rumbled, and began to fall with a sound like heavy tearing.

Irudai, who tried to get in front of Kenryoku, would suddenly find the column in his way. It didn't make much of a difference since his pure strength allowed him to cut through it, but it did allow Kenryoku space to avoid the slashes since they focused on the column instead of himself, and then dodge any remaining ones that happened. Kenryoku knew enough about Irudai to have recognized from the second that the column was destroyed that the physical strength of his opponent was enough to warrant wanting to avoid any possible hit. He did not yet put himself in a situation where he could be hit, damaged, or retaliated against by Irudai.

The slashes were all strong, and he felt air wash over him, but he still moved to the side just enough that even the air would barely touch him. Air could be used as a surprisingly well working distraction by the most experienced. Irudai appeared in front of Kenryoku suddenly, but Kenryoku side stepped to dodge the shoulder barge that the Squad 10 lieutenant was planning on using against him. If he had taken that, Kenryoku imagined that most of the bones in his body would have been completely shattered. Even at a Captain level, he could not afford to take that kind of hit from Irudai. It was clear that this was a stronger opponent than most at his level.

The shadow boxing was also easy to take care of. Kenryoku could read every single movement of it with exact precision, and he dodged all of it easily with quick, simply movements of his body. Every punch, fake or not, was dodged. He was watching out and making sure that Irudai had nothing to use to fight him. He didn't want Irudai to retaliate against him so soon, but he also knew that if he didn't give Irudai enough of a fight, he would get more serious before Kenryoku was ready to do so, and that would be bad as well. He had to keep things entertaining, but just entertaining enough that there was no need to try to end it early, or rise to the next level of combat.

"Your attacks are slow," Kenryoku said. "And your form is pitiful." Following Irudai's failed punch attempts, Kenryoku at last attempted an attack. Kenryoku spoke while dodging Irudai's punches. "You have become the flower from which the bees draw nectar, and you have also become the hive from which honey is stolen by other creatures. You are nothing but resource now, and this you will carry out for the rest of your days with shame and humiliation! Saiwan #4: Suikan." Blue auras of reiatsu formed on both of his hands, and finally, with another one of Irudai's incoming punches, Kenryoku retaliated.

The first technique that he used was a retaliatory technique. He braced himself, planting his legs in a firm horse stance, shoulder width apart, and crossed his arms in front of one another. They started to vibrate with his speed, just as Irudai's punch slammed into where Kenryoku's face would have been. His arms blocked the attack, and caught the force of it as well. He flicked his arms outward after blocking the punch, redirecting the force of Irudai's strike using an advanced Hakuda technique. Not only did he negate the damage of Irudai's strike, but he turned the residual force back inwards on Irudai himself.

"Gokken." Kenryoku said, stating the name of the Hakuda technique that he had used to redirect the force of the blow. The impact had hurt, though most of it had been absorbed, and Kenryoku felt a dull ache in his arms from using Gokken against Irudai. However, because of Kenryoku's speed exceeding Irudai's strength, the attack's damage was more or less totally negated, and, given it was 900 vs 800, there was a 100 difference left. Irudai's arms and torso would feel and receive damage as if they had been struck by a punch of 100 strength. It was not enough to have much effect, but enough to surprise him a moment. Also relevant, his earlier Kido caused him to regain reiatsu by siphoning it off of Irudai during their brief moments of contact.

Worst of all for Irudai, Kenryoku had another coming attack. Firstly, when he had blocked the punch earlier, it had been with Jinbei Kawada's boxing style "Guard Hit" system, which pulled in Irudai and allowed his hit a glance. While using Gokken, Kenryoku also used "Guard Hit," which pulled Irudai offbalance as he attacked. In other words, not only did Kenryoku block the attack, but he used it to force Irudai forward a little, causing him to overextend and lose his balance. Without balance, he would have more trouble defending. Kenryoku had just the attack for such an event.

Using Shunpo Karin, Kenryoku blasted his left fist toward Irudai's left hip, aiming to hit him right there. It would however do no damage, and Irudai might be surprised by the hit which came at such fierce speed that it was almost impossible to defend himself against. The hit would leave no damage, and instead would gather nerves and blood cells into a clumped area there. This was because of Kenryoku's "Ni Higyou" boxing technique. While there wouldn't be any damage yet, that was a set-up. The next punch, to a corresponding location, would cause that blood clot area to rupture and the fight to end. Kenryoku had thought it out in advance.

Gokken earlier regained him reiatsu. If this next attack hit, it too would regain him reiatsu.

Kenryoku's Remaining Reiatsu: 2120/2670 Reiatsu (-250 total, +100 from Suikan)

Meiunatsuin: 3/13

How much Reiatsu Irudai should have: 1400/1500 Reiatsu

OOC: You forgot reiatsu dock for my Kido hitting you.

An explosion of reiatsu knocked Irudai away as he approached. His momentum, even from Shunpo, was stopped and he was blown away on his approach. Kenryoku hadn't even finished retracting his one arm when that happened, but he had seen the approach of the Squad 10 Lieutenant, and had known that he didn't have the time to get himself out of the way, even with his speed, unless he released Meiunatsuin. Since it was not yet charged, Kenryoku refused to release Meiunatsuin however, and that was why he'd released what he did.

The Phoenix. A power he had created which released his reiatsu around him in a huge cloak that kept attackers at bay. Its release had knocked Irudai back to stop him from body slamming Kenryoku, but it had more strategic value than that. It was shaped and formed into Kenryoku's mold, mimicking him perfectly, but in giant. It was several times Kenryoku's size, and could still get even bigger if he willed it to. What was worse, it had physical effects, and that was what Kenryoku planned to take advantage of. His hand finished retracting by the time Irudai was blown away, but he reached out with his free hand anyway to get things done.

Irudai, knocked away by the huge blast, would be offbalance. Not only would he have no balance, but he was slow, and Kenryoku was much faster. With their difference in speed, Irudai was going to have a tough time stopping what Kenryoku was about to throw at him. Kenryoku's hand that had not already thrown a punch reached out, and grew to be the size of a house, keeping itself upright in front of and around Irudai. This blocked off his escape route, and also closed him in right in front of Kenryoku. Irudai was closed in, with nowhere to go, and even releasing wouldn't create a shockwave that could push Kenryoku back while that cloak was up.

Kenryoku's hand portion of the cloak left no room for Irudai to maneuver to, and therefore it trapped him, already offbalance, with a wall encircling him on all sides. Kenryoku's other hand had a cloak of reiatsu around it which was normal size, and was barely anything more than an outer layer. Only one hand was gigantic. The other was regular size, for Kenryoku planned to finish Irudai. This next attack might still leave Irudai able to continue, but victory was assured and absolute if it did hit. What Irudai had not counted on, clearly, was meeting an opponent who was so skilled in combat. Kenryoku may not have the greatest destructive potential, but he was skilled.

His hand that had just thrown a punch launched out again, using Shunpo Karin to accelerate into a punch to Irudai's other side. If this one hit, then the Ni Higyou technique was completed. This meant that while the original had not damaged Irudai, this hit would cause blood to explode out of the clot which had formed in the area of the original punch. A large hole would be left in Irudai's side and he would have already lost a lot of blood, and would continue to lose even more. The fight was not going to go anywhere for Irudai with that level of injury. Therefore, getting hit might just be the end of him. Kenryoku had prepared himself to destroy, and this was how he did it.

Kenryoku's Remaining Reiatsu: 1670/2670 Reiatsu

Meiunatsuin: 4/13

The cloaked form around Kenryoku exploded in proportions. The size of the thing expanded immediately, and this in turn would blast Irudai away as he approached. His body would be blasted back, his arm knocked upward, and his wound further stressed than ever before. The arm being knocked upward naturally prevented Irudai was being able to send air blasts at Kenryoku, and being blown away took him out of range of attack as well. Having landed one move, Kenryoku no longer needed to continue to attack. It might not kill Irudai, but he would be aware that he could no longer approach Kenryoku.

With the state of that profusely bleeding wound, and a lack of healing ability, Irudai would simply bleed out from continued combat. Physical combat against Kenryoku was impossible while he used that cloak. Defeating him would never work out for Irudai. It was obviously expected that a Captain should have this level of power, and it should also have been expected that no Lieutenant could ever lay his hands on the power of a Captain. Any Captain that was weaker than and lost to a Lieutenant or even took sufficient damage from one was weak, undeserving of their rank, and overall nothing but a disgrace.

Kenryoku had knocked Irudai away, and that was it. That was his only action taken against the Lieutenant. There was no more need to continue. Irudai was finished. Kenryoku knew that the Lieutenant had the power to keep fighting, but he knew that Irudai should also realize that the more he attacked, the more he would be repelled by this cloak which was invincible to melee combatants, and the more he would bleed until he either died or lost consciousness. Such a battle was pointless. Even a berserk fighter like Irudai should know this much. Kenryoku did not turn to face Irudai as he spoke.

"Your level of strength is both commendable and admirable." Kenryoku explained. "You are easily the most powerful of all the Lieutenants, and even some of our Captains, the weaker and more disgraceful ones naturally, would fall to you. However, to the likes of a true Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, you are nothing. Defeating you is easy in that circumstance. Furthermore, I am a Kawada as well. Even the greatest genius in the world could never be considered more than mediocre when compared to a Kawada. We are naturally gifted, born to be geniuses beyond geniuses from our first days of life."

Kenryoku's incessant bragging about being a Kawada was something he held to be of absolute truth, whether or not others agreed. It could be said that the Kawadas were indeed powerful, and that Kenryoku himself was extremely powerful and skilled. He had at least some basis by which to claim that Kawadas were special, especially when there were two Kawada Captains acting in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. "Do not fight me any further." Kenryoku ordered. "If you do, you will die, and this would be a waste to the Seireitei. You are beaten. Know this. Accept your own defeat with dignity."