Bite and Scrap (Damage Permanent, Aoshi)

[Ambrose Grail]

Ambrose had just crawled out of Hell, but he wasn't quite sure he'd emerged somewhere much nicer. Most everything had been destroyed. It looked like someone had overrun the place with six billion demons. It took several minutes of poking around and people running from the sight of him to realize he was back in the world of the afterlife, the region of the spiritual world called the Rukongai.

Paying the unusual attention no mind, Ambrose first set out to find a restaurant that was still open. People would always need food, no matter how bad things got. He located a ramshackle building with the appropriate smells, noticed several people inside from his sixth sense, and let himself in. The reaction was immediate. Someone dropped a bowl of food. Someone started wailing.

Okay. That was weird. He'd been the subject of fear before, but this was on a whole other level. Someone even ran off to find "help." Slowly, Ambrose walked over to a bar, seated himself amidst the chaos, and ordered a bowl of ramen. When he took off his white mask and looked directly at the cook, the man swallowed hard and started preparing a bowl.

It arrived after several minutes. The fare was half-good, but the cook's dread had clearly affected his skills. Something about the whole situation made Ambrose a little frustrated. Finishing his ramen in a corner of the restaurant, he noticed the wide berth around himself. Even when he gave them time to get accustomed to him, and had taken off his mask to make himself seem more personable, they were still terrified.

He started to pay, when the cook stammered out the phrase, "No charge." His brow furrowed, and the man backpedaled hard, offering to let Ambrose pay if he wanted to. Something had shaken these people up badly. It made him sad and angry, but he couldn't express those emotions here. Not with everyone watching and fearing his every move.

He walked outside and scanned the area around himself quickly. He cast his sixth sense outward, and his eyes and his other senses latched onto someone nearby immediately. "No time like the present," he said out loud, cracking his knuckles and neck. He waltzed over to the guy, and without any warning at all, wound up and telegraphed for a right-handed straight cross.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats, Skills and Items}Stats
Physical Strength: 0 (100) [275]
Speed: 0 (100) [275]
Reiatsu Strength: 100
Spiritual Pressure: 300 (400) [800]
Light Aura: 50
Dark Aura: 50
Instinct: 300
Senses: 150
Energy Sensory: 100
Healing Expertise: 0

Skills
Mental
Strength of Will: 2

Battle
Martial Arts (Pugilism): 2
Pain Tolerance: 2
Bleeding Tolerance: 2
Battle Focus: 2

Other
Culinary Arts: 3

Items
Snack Satchel
• Mach Matcha Mochi Ball, version 1 (375 Ryo) (4)
• Mapo Tofu Dim Sum Dumpling (375 Ryo) (4)
• Devil's Food Chocolate Mochi Ball (375 Ryo) (4)
• Vanilla Cream Dream Mochi Ball (375 Ryo) (4)
• Caramelized Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Bite (375 Ryo) (4)
• Stuffed Pesto Lemon Zest and Pepperoni Rigatoni Poppers (375 Ryo) (4)

• Pistachio Brittle Bite (1,000 Ryo) (4)
• Candied Sandalwood Nut Filled Chocolate-dipped Strawberry (1,250 Ryo) (4)
• Black Sesame-White Strawberry Swirl Mochi Ball (1,000 Ryo) (4)
• Coconut Strawberry Cheesecake Bites (1,500 Ryo) (4)

[Deleted]

One more day, Aoshi found himself enjoying the pleasures of a life on parole. Berated by his teammates and kept on a short leash most of the time, it wasn't often that the Kenpachi was given free reign to do as he pleased. Well, 'as he pleased' would be quite a generous way of interpreting his latest task, which involved patrolling one of the more rundown districts of the Rukongai. Eastern 56th, if he was not mistaken. Being from the 45th in the North himself, Aoshi couldn't help but to feel a sense of solidarity toward the people that lived there. He knew first hand how harsh life could be in the poorer areas of Soul Society, so while he was not exactly the greatest, most charitable samaritan out there, it was a struggle that he understood. As such, he was more than happy to ensure that no trouble would be going on that may make those people's lives more difficult than they already were.

Aoshi's stomach began to rumble not too long after reaching the 56th. As it turned out, having a Kenpachi's body meant that said body got immeasurably hungry. He had been a big eater all his life, which had put a certain strain onto his parents' income while they were still alive or sane. Knowing this, Aoshi descended from the rundown rooftops onto the streets, where a delicious smell was coming from a ramen shop that also looked like it had seen better days. A huge grin became plastered across Aoshi's face as he said out loud "Oh, yeah! Awesome!", right before jumping down. Dust settled a few seconds after he had landed, testament of a lack of care that was given to these outer districts. Ironic, how they expected people to just behave there, with no actual enforcement other than the occassional patrol.

Any wannabe criminals thought twice before attempting anything, due to the Shihakusho he wore and the Asauchi he was carrying, both identifying him as a Shinigami. He didn't want any trouble, however; the last thing he needed was Celes giving him lip for misbehaving while on duty, regardless of how fun it may be. And he was not about to cause trouble that day. Yes, for one day, Aoshi Kuzan would actually take his job seriously! But he would do that right after he had one bowl of ramen. Or two.

...Or three.

Aoshi sat down at the first stool he got, and placed a very large order, almost impossible to stomach for any other guy his size. Even the boss seemed surprised, but he didn't seem to mind after remembering how much money he was about to rake in from a single order. Thus, the plates began coming, and Aoshi started eating. The ramen was tasty if slightly greasy, and while most nobles would've spat out and cried damnation at that flavor, it was as if Aoshi was back home after a long day of hard work. The way in which he ate was nothing short of terrifying for those that didn't know him. He ate, gulped, chomped and munched, going through the bowls at a speed that would make you question whether it was humanly possible to consume food at such rates without needing ten Heimlich maneuvers per second.

Once he had gone through double the actual amount of food he had planned, Aoshi let out a loud, satisfied burp. He was not one to mind his manners in those districts of the Rukongai; he couldn't be arsed to. Fully satisfied now, the Kenpachi got off the chair and dropped enough payment plus a tip to the cook, who had somehow kept up with him the entire food-eating trance; even when a particular Saika had entered the establishment and scared the rest of the customers. Lacking any Energy Sensory, Aoshi was fully oblivious to him the entire time, from the moment Ambrose entered to the moment he left. He was even unaware of how the establishment was in sheer dread of the other Kenpachi's power.

Once he was back out in the streets, Aoshi settled his Asauchi on his Shihakusho belt and stretched a bit. He should be getting ready to continue with his patrol, and now that he had eaten a snack or two, it should keep him going for the rest of the day. He was in such a good mood after the meal that he, once again, was oblivious to his surroundings, including the same Saika approaching him with a fist raised, and a well-telegraphed punch. Well, I say well-telegraphed, but Aoshi was paying absolutely zero attention to his surroundings after the meal. He was an inexperienced greenhorn, after all.

The lesson for the future would be imprinted in his brain as he got punched by the Aoshi got knocked to the ground. He hit the dust with a loud thud, and felt the taste of blood in his mouth. It took him half a second to process what had happened, and then he got back up on a single leap, staring daggers at the Saika. Cheap-shotting asshole...

"Heey, man. Care explaining what that was about?", he asked, although contempt and the urge to break his face was clearly showing through his voice. Not that he was making any attempts at concealing it, either. Trouble usually found him, but that was because he went around looking for it. This was that rare occasion where it had just seemed to have found him on its own. He felt his anger swelling and the desire to go all out coursed through his veins.

This time, he probably would not stop it.

Stat	SP	Ken. SP	Type
Strength	140	190	332
Speed	55	105	183
Reiatsu Strength	25	25	25
Spiritual Pressure	25	75	112
Senses	50	50	50
Instinct	50	50	50
Energy Sensory	0	0	0
Healing Expertise	0	0	0
Light Aura	50 (0)
Dark Aura	50 (100)

• Massacre Demon: 1
• Strength of Will: 1
• Pain Tolerance: 1
• Stamina Efficiency: 1

[Ambrose Grail]

What a disappointment and it was plain on Ambrose's face as he grimaced at his chosen opponent. He mimicked the young shinigami's voice in mockery, "Heey man, I'm starting a fight with you..." Ambrose shook his head and stopped mocking Aoshi. "Come on, man. Put up your dukes and do something about it. I swear, all these chumps with swords. Is it like a pyramid scheme? Are most of you weak except for a chosen few?" A tongue of cruddy orange flame belched lazily from one of the puckered swirls on his chest.

The sinner's chains around his wrists and ankles jangled when he looked around the area, scanning for someone else. Was he wrong? His sixth sense was usually spot-on about who had a spark of fight in them and who didn't. "I don't even think of myself as a strong guy. I'm awesome, obviously. But it really sucks to be a main character without a deuteragonist in sight." He craned his head back and shouted, "It's lonely at the top! Isn't there anyone with a spine around here? Don't make me pick on this wimp! There's got to be someone who knows how to throw a punch, right?!" He complained openly for anyone to hear.

After he had thoroughly scared away anyone in the area-- a hellion shouting challenges at the common folk would do that-- he looked back down at the shinigami. His sixth sense told him there should be no one left in earshot. "Okay, they're gone," he confided in his opposite. "Get off your ass and fight me. If you don't, I'll have to find someone else, and I think you're the only one around here who can take a cross and not just die." He put some finality into that last word, grim and poignant.

There had to be something that would spur this young pup into action, after all. Ambrose was looking for a scrap to let off some steam. After all the polite things he was doing for this kid, it was about time the kid did something for him, right?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Holding Back Stats}Stats
Physical Strength: 200
Speed: 200
Reiatsu Strength: 100
Spiritual Pressure: 200
Light Aura: 50
Dark Aura: 50
Instinct: 300
Senses: 150
Energy Sensory: 100
Healing Expertise: 0

Out of Hell Posts: 2/50 (no mask)

[Deleted]

Alright. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. The ex-convict had to keep repeating that word in his head like a mantra to keep himself from immediately blowing up. See, there he was, a son of a bitch that ticked every single box in the 'how to piss Aoshi off' list. The Kenpachi had to give him points for the fact that he, too, thought that most of the Gotei 13's new recruits were just your run of the mill Plus with a standard issue Asauchi, even if they were able to use Kido while he could not. But that was just about where his respect toward the fellow Kenpachi ended. The moment where Ambrose began going on and on about how he was the protagonist and that he needed a sidekick, since having no deuteragonist was pretty damn sucky.

All Aoshi heard was the rambling and crying of a guy who had a fairly large superiority complex, possibly in overcompensation for something else, and each of those words made him want to cave his face into the pavement as soon as possible. He longed for the satisfying feeling of the broken bones in the Saika's face being crunched under his fist once he actually got the punch in. And yet, for a moment, Aoshi did not attack. It could be possible that this was just someone put there to frame him in case he retaliated, just as he had been framed for his father's death in the past. However, this idea was quickly thrown out the window when Ambrose muttered that there were no longer any witnesses to their battle.

That worked for Aoshi. Pretty damn well, actually.

"Oh, so you're just looking for a fight. Why didn't you just say that? And here I thought you were a delusional Shonen reader with attention whore tendencies...", he said, getting back up and dusting his uniform off with a couple of hand movements. He spat red on the ground, from the cut inside his mouth after Ambrose's sucker punch. Needless to say, his voice still carried that deep-seated aggression, of course. Normally, Aoshi would give him much more lip, but the way this bastard behaved . If anything, he was still not letting himself go all-out just because, even with provocation, it would be pretty damn hard to argue why he had assaulted a... wait, what the hell was this guy, in the first place? Chains hung from his joints, as if he had broken out of somewhere. "Though I guess the two aren't exclusive, are they, Jingles?"

Was this a fellow prisoner, someone that he needed to put down or capture? Truth be told, Aoshi should've been paying more attention back when the Academy teachers were explaining to him what a Hellion was, and how their invasion had affected Soul Society, but he had never been one to listen too intently to his classes. In any case, he had already decided that he was going to fight this idiot. He'd deal with Mopey, Central 46's gray assess and whoever wanted to give him lip afterwards. Right now, his priority was seeing if this dude was all talk, or if by the contrary, he could put his fist where his mouth was. The Kenpachi gave him a seemingly friendly grin for a second before using his top speed to take a step in to cut the distance between them and deliver a fist strike aimed straight at the solar plexus. His first intent was to knock the wind out of this guy and make him fold for a moment. If that happened, Aoshi would immediately follow with a rising kick, seeking to shatter the chin and send the bastard flying onto the ground. Was he that petty that he wanted to even the score that way? You bet your ass he was.

Of course, Aoshi was blissfully unaware of the power difference that existed between them, that Ambrose could crush him with just a thought through sheer gravitational pressure alone. All that was lost on an individual that had yet to learn how to sense energy. Well, perhaps this battle would be yet another lesson for him. Or perhaps he would just break himself trying to break his opponent. Whatever the outcome, he had been itching for a good one on one fight for a long time, and now that someone he actively wanted to hurt had appeared? Well, he was not letting that chance go to waste, was he?

OOC: Aoshi is pissed, but testing the waters at 200 STR as well. The rest of his stats are at maximum.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}

Stat	SP	Ken. SP	Type
Strength	140	190	332
Speed	55	105	183
Reiatsu Strength	25	25	25
Spiritual Pressure	25	75	112
Senses	50	50	50
Instinct	50	50	50
Energy Sensory	0	0	0
Healing Expertise	0	0	0
Light Aura	50 (0)
Dark Aura	50 (100)

• Massacre Demon: 1
• Strength of Will: 1
• Pain Tolerance: 1
• Stamina Efficiency: 1

[Ambrose Grail]

Finally, they were going to get down to it. And it was about damn time. Delusional some kinda reader with attention whore tendencies. He didn't know what a shonen was, but he could guess Jingles was a reference to his sinner's chains. This guy could talk a little trash, and he didn't just resort to swear words. Ambrose broke out into an amused, happy grin when Aoshi started insulting his character. This was the good stuff.

The shinigami went for the frontal assault, aiming for Ambrose in the bread box. He was moving at what was probably his top speed, trying to catch the Saika just as off-guard as his introduction earlier had caught the steel-jawed sinner. Also disappointing. He'd gotten a feel for this kind of guy before, and if his hunch was right... well, he could check for that kind of thing. "Hey," Ambrose said, making minimal movements to sidestep and parry the first blow with his hands, using simple deflection and his pugilism skills to keep the other guy's fist from striking anything solidly.

"You're fast on the approach, but your other movements are too slow, and you're telegraphing." He kept his footing wide, stepping around Aoshi like a dummy on a foe-centered pivot. His eyes weren't on his opponent's core, but his footing. He was positioned like he wanted to transition into a big, flashy kick. Ambrose frowned. That wouldn't work in a less friendly match. "Keep your feet wide," he advised. "Low kicks are faster and less obvious."

He backed off a bit. Not because he needed to, but because it would give him room to talk. He kept his jingling fists high, ready for a more explosive display of this guy's power. "When you're at a disadvantage, like now, you need guile to offset the difference."

If this was the best his opponent had to offer, then this would be more of an instructional bout than a real match. Fists would cross either way, so this was fine by the Saika. But... he still had to stifle a yawn.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Holding Back Stats}Stats
Physical Strength: 200
Speed: 200
Reiatsu Strength: 100
Spiritual Pressure: 200
Light Aura: 50
Dark Aura: 50
Instinct: 300
Senses: 150
Energy Sensory: 100
Healing Expertise: 0

Out of Hell Posts: 3/50 (no mask)

[Deleted]

Aoshi was pretty damn surprised to see that neither of his blows actually connected the way he intended them to. He expected this to be a random, if slightly stronger than average guy, one that he would be able to beat easily. But as it turned out, Ambrose stopped his initial blow with a quick parry, leaving him in a very bad position for the jumping kick, so the Kenpachi did not launch it at all. Still, he was in position, and that was quickly noted by Ambrose as he sidestepped like it was nobody's business, pivoted all around him as if observing his form, and pointing out some of his mistakes: the fact that he was telegraphing, the fact that he was resorting to bigger, flashier moves, and that while he was quick on the approach, he was not that fast when it came to actually dishing out the damage. He then backed off a bit, fists raised with the chains jingling right below, and told him flatly that he needed to use his brain to overcome such a difference.

The most recent addition of the Tenth was quiet for a second. He could feel an eye twitching, until his confusion turned into understanding. Was this guy... was this guy giving him a lesson right now? Was he actually correcting his form, treating this like it was a class right after sucker punching him?

Aoshi felt his veins bulge all over his body. It was as if his blood had been turned into magma, and the anger and frustration of having someone extremely annoying near by without being able to deck him in the face was almost mind-numbing. Every single fiber of Aoshi's body clamored for him to just drop the restraints, get his hands on Ambrose's face, and punch it until it was just the rotting remains of a bloody paste. The Kenpachi still had just about enough self control, however, to grit his teeth and let out a strong breath between his teeth. He did lift some of his self-imposed restriction, however.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay", he repeated like a mantra as if to calm himself, although it was clear by his tone that he was getting pretty pissed off. Still, focusing more on the battle, instead of on this fucker, would be a much more productive use of his energy. For one thing, he was raising his fists, and was light on footwork. Maybe he leaned more on his hands than on any other body part? Aoshi was not experienced enough to recognize the boxing stance, so he could not tell directly that his opponent would be severely lacking in the kicking department. Still his own style was focused more on striking than throws, so Ambrose's experience would give him the edge.

Not that Aoshi cared about any of that, because he quickly stepped forward again, this time trying for something similar to what he had attempted during his fight with Eshin. He stepped forward, simulating a punch to the gut, but instead fell on a single leg entry that quickly transitioned to a sweeping kick, intent on knocking this guy flat on his ass. If that was successful, Aoshi could go about driving his head into the dirt of the 56th with far more ease, as being flat on one's back was a terrible position for any martial artist. If he could get his foe there, it would go a long way toward his victory.


OOC:
Aoshi is getting more pissed by Ambrose, so he's holding back at 275 Strength now.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reference for spinning kick}

[Ambrose Grail]

Ambrose's opponent was starting to think, but he was still making two big mistakes: fighting angry and holding back. Doing both of those at the same time led to more mistakes. He feigned a gut punch-- Ambrose read the feint and all but simply watched to see where it would go. His opponent dropped down and tried to take advantage of his light footwork, going for the sweep. When Aoshi focused on Ambrose's feet, he put his face on the latter's solar plexus level.

Ambrose chose this time to respond. Rather than dodge, he lowered his center of gravity with a solid, widened stance, and performed a left-handed straight punch. His motion was assisted by his kinaesthetic understanding: a wind-up that started from his feet, transitioned up to his hips, was channeled through his solar plexus with an outward breath that synchronized with the engagement of muscles all throughout the chain, maximizing his speed and output in an attempt to strike before he was struck and throw off the entire incoming attack.

He chose to use a knuckle-forward straight, which would concentrate the attack onto a very small point, thus increasing the pounds of pressure per square inch tenfold or more. If his speed and foresight won out again, he should have channeled all that force directly into Aoshi's right collarbone, specifically focusing his force onto the weak bend just before the beginning of the shoulder-- a bone-snapping blow.

The results of breaking a collarbone are immediate and drastic. First, lifting that arm becomes all but impossible. Not just from a standpoint of pain, but the addition of a break in that bone makes the mechanical aspect of trying to move the arm result in leveraging the medial end of the collarbone, instead, resulting in more pain and wasted time. Second, it creates a serious weakness. Aoshi appeared to be favoring his right side, so by removing half of his right side, Ambrose would create a large window of broken defenses. This would mean that his opponent would have to begin putting his left side forward in an attempt to cover his weakness, but if Ambrose were right, then he'd be less experienced with defending on that side, and it would lead, in turn, to making further mistakes.

That was all the theory behind his immediate tactic, of course. There were ways it could go wrong. If Aoshi were really dedicated to his attack, he might still muster the strength to complete the kick, and that would likely break the shin that Ambrose had practically given him on a silver platter. It shouldn't happen, Ambrose judged, but it could.

[Deleted]

With the two of them being equal in Strength, it would take more than one strike to the collarbone to bring Aoshi down. It would hurt like a bitch, for sure, and he would be getting quite the bruise from that one. In fact, the moment Ambrose's punch collided, one could hear a crack; not a full fracture, but the bone had been damaged. This only elevated his rage and frustation to a boiling point, and perhaps because of that as well as some degree of pain tolerance, he was able to push through and complete his attack. In the same way, Aoshi's kick, while powerful, would probably not shatter Ambrose's shin--it would definitely get bruised though, and it was better to be down one arm than one leg. The man got back up from the position as quickly as possible, wincing and instinctively drawing his other hand to the point of impact.

Even not fully broken, his entire right arm hurt like hell, and it was not like he could just kept it locked in place through sheer muscle strength alone. Not yet, anyways. For the time being, that body part was out of the count. Talk about a nuisance; that one was going to be hard to explain back in the barracks. "Alright. You want to scrap? Then we're going to fucking scrap.", he said, but his voice no longer sounded angry. Instead it sounded eager, almost joyful, albeit in a rather sinister way. Ambrose would feel the neutrality in Aoshi's aura, a trait that they both shared, turn into sheer malice. The Kenpachi's body underwent a quick, gnarly transformation. Tattoos similar to the ones he had in his forearms and marked him as a criminal appeared all over his body, from arms to face. His skin turned deathly pale, as if he was incredibly ill. His hair turned a hot, reddish pink, and his eyes glowed yellow almost as if he were a Hollow. "You'd better not disappoint!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Aoshi's updated appearance}

That would not be the only change that would occur, however. In a 100ft area around the Kenpachi, things began to rapidly change as well. What few vegetation that sprouted along those dirt covered streets began quickly shriveling up. The constructions around them creaked with unease, as if suddenly strained with a much larger weight than before, and the cracks alongside the walls quickly started to become bigger. Instead of anger and frustration, in this state, Aoshi saw nothing but an opportunity to let go and just fight someone to his heart's content; a chance for which he would thank the stranger. Preferrably later on, once he had broken a few bones in Ambrose's body.

Still, Aoshi had no choice but to shift his guard a bit more to the side, keeping his limp arm unmoving for now. He took one step, and by the following one, he had vanished, using Shunpo to position himself right next to Ambrose's right side, so that he could use his undamaged left arm to attack. Aoshi would use two quick jabs followed by a straight kick to the gut, aiming to knock him down and then continue the assault. Of course, the boxer was more than capable to see those coming and block them... but if he did, he'd be in for a small surprise. Nothing that could not be handled, given Aoshi's current level, but a surprise nonetheless.

With going all out, Aoshi's blows channeled entropy itself. Each time he made contact with an enemy, the foe's body got weaker and weaker, even reaching points when it could no longer sustain itself. That would not happen just with three strikes, but each would serve to tenderize Ambrose's body for the next one. Regardless of the difference in experience and the fact that Ambrose was a pain in the neck to fight, Aoshi's love for battle had long since taken over. He no longer saw an idiot he wanted to even the score with; he saw an opponent to break, for fun and for the hell of it. He couldn't do the same to his teammates, after all, lest he invoke the wrath of their captain.

How long he could be fighting with a limb in that state, however, was up to debate.

OOC: Aoshi's stopped holding back, and is going all out at 332 Strength. As such, Ruination activates.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Ruination}Aoshi's Spiritual Pressure is a representation of death itself, corruption, rot and the decay of things: entropy, in a single word. To be more precise, the theme of his power would be 'entropy acceleration'. Cinematically, this is represented in multiple ways in an growing area around Aoshi. Cinematically, spiritually weak beings (never RPCs) in a 100ft area around him will see their injuries, such as cuts, scraps or bruises, increase in size and gravity. Flesh and bones ache with strain, skin dries up, etcetera. Physical and spiritual matter will see any imperfections slowly take over: stone slowly turns to dust, metal rusts, wood rots and moulds, the grass and plant-life around him wither. Ruination also causes Aoshi to shift in appearance and personality, as described earlier, as the ability turns him into a counduit of decay and destruction.

How does this play in a fight?

Aoshi's physical touch on an opponent cause the natural effect of entropy decay effect to greatly accelerate, further weakening the foe's body and causing an increase in severity of previous injuries around the impact area. This is easily noticeable by the zone in particular becoming grayer and grayer, with its colors losing vividity. The skin cracks a bit, too. Under the effects of entropy, the opponent's physical defenses are also made more brittle, and injuries increase in severity: minor cuts don't close and become deeper, leading to grievous wounds; fatigued muscle fibers snap, bones with partial fractures break completely. This allows Aoshi to overpower defenses through relentless assault.

While the opponent retains their physical Strength, each contact with Aoshi will cause this stat to be treated as 5% lower of their maximum, but only when defending against a physical attack (does not apply to OS clashes). barrage/multi-hit techniques will see this amount double. Note that Massacre Demon techniques may have a different rate of reductions (contingent on approval for each), as the style was conceived to make full use of Ruination. These reductions are cumulative, but reset when Aoshi starts holding back again. If he won't stop going all out, the opponent must remain untouched by Aoshi for at least three posts of combat to purge the decay effect. Items/defensive powers or Releases that make contact with Aoshi's body will see their durability is directly cut by this ability in the same way, but at twice the rate; this durability is not refreshed if Aoshi starts holding back again. Of course, this includes any items he himself holds, which will rapidly decay due to prolonged contact with him. Thus, Aoshi can't physically hold an item for more than 2 posts without it breaking.

Since the enemy's body becomes weaker and frail, techniques that are taxing or have adverse effects on the foe's body will further strain them. This will lead to injury if their durability goes under the required Strength threshold for use. However, they will never be locked out of using them if they so desire. For example if a technique requires 400 Strength, it would injure the user's body if the stat would be considered as 380 defensively due to this ability. As Ruination also affects spiritual matter, long lasting spiritual techniques in contact with Aoshi's body (such as Bakudo) will wither and decay at a much faster rate, making it easier for him to break free of them. Hierro also suffers greatly from Ruination's effects, reducing the number of posts required for adjustment by 3 per hit (multi-hits do not add any extra for this purpose). Techniques like Cero or Bala that hit the foe to cause damage and then disperse are too fast in their effect to be weakened by Ruination.

Now, how can you stop Ruination, other than by not getting hit?

• On hit, any opponent who has been struck can spend a flat amount of Reiatsu to cancel the effects of Ruination on their body. The necessary amount to cancel a 5% debuff will increase with Aoshi's class, and will be increased/decreased by 50 per Class difference with the opponent. The numbers are 5 (Class 8), 25 (7), 50 (6), 75 (5), 100 (4), 125 (3), 150 (2), 175 (1), and 200 (0), with a +/- 50 Reiatsu per Class difference adjustment. For example, with Aoshi at class 4, it would take 100 Reiatsu to block the Ruination effect when taking a single punch if the foe is also class 4, 150 if the foe is class 5, or 50 if the foe is class 3.
• On cast, defensive techniques can be formed at higher Reiatsu costs to undermine Ruination's effects by granting them a spiritual buffer to repel Aoshi's strikes. For defensive release overalls, paying the cost of releasing at 1 class higher will negate a total of 15%, up to a total of a 60% Ruination buffer per increased class. This cost can still be paid even if you would overshoot any maximums, (e.g. Shikai could pay an extra 150, 300, 450 or 600 Reiatsu to gain the 15, 30, 45 or 60% buffer respectively, but would still only be class 3). A 60% buffer means Aoshi must, for example, land 12 basic attacks before Ruination will begin to take any effect on it.
• For defensive non-overall techniques, (e.g. Danku or a release technique that creates a shield), paying 20% more for it will grant a 10% Ruination buffer, up to a maximum buffer of 40%. This won't have any effect if Aoshi has a +2 class superiority over the technique. Conversely, the buffer % for the same cost will double if Aoshi has a +2 class inferiority over the technique. Release overall buffers stack with these, but will be consumed first.

Another added drawback is that Aoshi's personality change makes him far more unstable and difficult to deal with, going as far as to attack his allies if they get in the way of a good battle. He may even attack them if he feels unsatisfied with the brawl. This personality effect does not go away just by lowering his stats back down again, and will require 3 posts of non-combat to be purged entirely. Needless to say, any ally Aoshi touches will be subjected to the same decay effects as an opponent would.

[Ambrose Grail]

Ambrose's shin splintered, the skin breaking when Aoshi kicked him hard in the leg. It wasn't a total break, but it was a broken leg nonetheless. Pain surged up into his spine, but this was as nothing to the condemned of the infernal pit. Instead, his regeneration solved the injury immediately, repairing both the bone and the skin. What little blood had escaped from his shin transformed into lava. Ambrose flicked his leg, kicking the molten stone at Aoshi, when he noticed the changes the other's body was undergoing.

Funny color change, Ambrose thought, nearly out loud. Given the power gap between them, the saika felt confident in letting his opponent play out his power fantasies. When the more palpable effects of the shinigami's powers began to take hold in his surroundings, Ambrose glanced around briefly, taking stock of the changes. His mind whirred on what was happening, but he was temporarily distracted from Aoshi.

Suddenly, the shinigami appeared by his side. The instinct to step away had occurred to Ambrose, but he was curious to see where this was going. Rather than dodge, he shifted his stance to face the other kenpachi and let the latter hit him, once. The force of the attack came in as a quick jab, uncommitted but strong for a moment. Ambrose chose not to hold ground against it though, allowing that force to put significant distance between him and his opponent.

Something was different. With the distance between them measurable in whole feet, Ambrose clenched his fists and tested out his muscular fortitude. He was... weaker now? A little bit? There was a foreign reiatsu with a feeling like exhaustion bogging down his body, just a tiny amount. He frowned. "Bad match-up. Sorry pal." Quickly, the saika expressed his reiatsu, resulting in a ripple of heat wavering off his body, and cleansing the manifestation of entropy from him.

As soon as and as quickly as that had happened, Ambrose sealed up his spiritual pressure inside himself, restricting its flow from leaving his body at all. Sparks of hot reiatsu welled up against the inside of his skin, and the circle-arc tattoos on his skin began to glow. The dull gold in his eyes brightened by a shade. He waited for a moment, taking a clearing breath and exhaling it steadily to gain his center of focus.

"Better not disappoint," he repeated, more to himself in thought than to Aoshi. He disappeared from sight and left behind a column of green light, reappearing briefly in front of his opponent's left side, and then stepped a second time, leaving a second column of light. Even faster than he had moved before, he reappeared again on his right side. He kicked with the force of raw artillery as he arrived, aiming to break the bones in Aoshi's lower ribcage.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Techniques and Costs}Cleared entropy: 25 reiatsu
Impel Mode: 300 reiatsu
Bringer Light 1: 50 reiatsu (2750 speed)
Bringer Light 2: 100 reiatsu (3575 speed)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Force and Pressure, Stage Two}Technique Name: Force and Pressure, Stage One
Class: 7
Technique Type: Other
Usable By: Kenpachi only
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: The user gains a capacity for Force stacks, up to 5.

At the cost of 300 reiatsu, the user may enter Impel Mode for the duration of 6 posts. Upon entering the mode and at the beginning of each post, the user gains 1 stack of Force.

Up to 1 Force stack can be transferred into an opponent on physical contact. In an opponent, Force stacks exacerbate damage taken, projecting a secondary, explosive spike with a combined Offensive Stat equal to 10% of the user's Reiatsu Strength per stack, out the opposite side of the body, whenever the victim suffers a physical injury. When 6 or more Force stacks accumulate, the next blow causes a volatile chain reaction, venting all accumulated Force out of the body and resetting the number of stacks to 0.

An opponent with Force stacks vents them automatically after going 2 posts without gaining a stack, at the rate of 1 Force stack per post. Alternatively, they can forcefully purge their reiatsu by paying 50 reiatsu to eliminate a stack of Force.

How to use technique: The user's capacity for Force stacks is a passive, always-active feature. To enter Impel Mode, the user partially traps their enormous reiatsu output inside their body, greatly increasing its pressure.

Technique Drawbacks: If the user's Force stacks exceed their capacity, the stacks vent forcefully out of their body, inflicting body-wide second-degree burns and inch-deep lacerations in an explosion 10 feet wide.

Made By: Ammutseba

Reserved? No


Technique Name: Force and Pressure, Stage Two
Class: 4
Technique Type: Other
Usable By: Kenpachi only
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: The user's capacity for Force stacks increases to 10. They may transfer up to 2 stacks of Force to an opponent with physical contact, and up to 1 stack of Force by being within 15 feet of them for one post. The secondary damage from the user's Force stacks increases to 15% of their Reiatsu Strength per stack, and your Force stacks trigger a chain reaction only after 11 or more have accumulated. Triggering a chain reaction uses one Short-Term Stat Boost per thread. Opponents begin venting Force stacks only after 3 posts without gaining a stack have passed, and they must pay 75 reiatsu to eliminate a stack of the user's Force.

How to use technique: This technique represents the user's increased resilience to and growing affinity for Force.

Technique Drawbacks: Before this technique can be learned, the user must first know Force and Pressure, Stage One. If the user's Force stacks exceed their capacity, the stacks vent forcefully out of their body, inflicting body-wide second-degree burns and two-inch-deep lacerations in an explosion 15 feet wide.

Made By: Ammutseba

Reserved? No

SPOILER: Click to show

{Bringer Light}Technique Name: Bringer Light

Class: 4

Technique Type: Human Technique

Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects:
This is the stepping technique for humans. It increases their speed for a single step by 10 times for 50 Reiatsu. It leaves a column of flickering light in the place where the user previously occupied. Unlike other steps, this one can be used to build speed. If used in succession, the speed and cost go up with each additional step. The second step is a 13x increase, and costs 100 Reiatsu. The third step is a 15x increase, and costs 200 Reiatsu. From there, the cost doubles with each additional step, and the speed increase goes up by 1 time. Meaning the fourth step is 16x and 400 Reiatsu, the fifth is 17x and 800 Reiatsu, etc. Though at first the column of light is visible where the user was, once the third step is reached, the column of light is no longer there. This technique does not take up a technique slot.

How to use technique: To work, this technique manipulates the soul in whatever the user is standing on, allowing for feats such as high jumping, or the step which increases speed.

Drawback: None

Remaining Reiatsu: 1,525

Out of Hell Posts: 5/50 (no mask)

[Deleted]

Truth be told, Aoshi had no idea what he meant by 'bad matchup'. The Kenpachi had absolutely no idea about what happened when Ruination activated. Largely unaware of his own ability, due to his fear of it, had made it so he did not know how to exploit it, or even understand what it did. This complete lack of battle experience would come to bite him in the ass, or more accurately, in the ribcage, as Ambrose did something that he was not expecting. A non-Shinigami, using a technique that had to be similar to Shunpo, because all of a sudden he was just... gone. Gone, and in his place was a column of light. Not that he had any interest in it, because he suddenly appeared right next to Aoshi, only to be gone with the following step. By reflex, Aoshi shot his good hand for a backhand blow, but of course it met nothing than the same column light, this time right next to him.

Thus, what came next caught him completely open and unawares. Unlike Ambrose, he lacked the battle instinct to know what was going to come his way, which in this case was a powerful kick to his chest. The Kenpachi folded in half, having little to no time to try to defend against the attack, and thus was thrown back violently by it, landing on the floor a few feet away. The pain in his chest was something that he most definitely was not able to push through, and it most likely would see him. Of course, the contact with his chest would make Amborse suffer from Ruination again, but as he had already demonstrated, it would not be too much of an issue for him to get rid of the effect.

Now, lacking air and in deep pain, what did Aoshi do? Obviously not get up, at least not immediately. But he did sprawl on the ground and just let out a thoroughly amused laugh that echoed within the district of the Rukongai. He definitely was in no shape to be laughing, but what could he do? It just came out naturally. He had just found someone that could kick his ass, even when he was going all out. That meant that there was someone else out there other than his teachers and fellow Shinigami that could handle him, even when he was crazed for battle.

"Hahahaha!"

Surprisingly, that was a good thing for him... and it gave him a goal to strive towards. A win, win all around, if one discounted the brutal way in which he had just lost. What a pitiful record, for someone that considered himself to be pretty strong. Maybe some more work was in order!

"I have to hand it to you... you know how to throw a good punch-" he then broke into a coughing fit from the lack of air, which hurt his already strained ribs even more. He did his best to incorporate. Even if Jingles had gotten that shot on him, Aoshi was almost certain that he did not want to kill him. If he did, he would've done so when he was distracted. And right now, he could've aimed for a much more fatal blow than a kick--at least, he assumed that much, considering the stepping techniques he had just used. Ambrose may have sucker punched him at first, but they had fought and he had gotten his ass handed out to him. Aoshi was not a petty loser; far from it. As a battle lover, he could only be graceful about biting the dust every once in a while.

"What's... your name... Jingles?" he strained to get the last word in, taking a hand to his chest and doing his best to get back up on his feet from that fighting position. The way his chestal area complained left no room for doubt that something was fractured there, if not outright broken. That, coupled with his already fucked arm, meant that he could definitely not keep fighting. Even so, Ruination would still be going strong. It would take a while for it to fully dissipate back--only the loss had completely pacified Aoshi, taking him out of his battle trance.

"Getting back home is gonna... be a pain in the damn neck...", he complained, scratching the back of his head with his good arm, and struggling to do even that. He grimaced and winced at the pain from just making his body shift position.

[Ambrose Grail]

Ambrose watched Aoshi hit the dirt, and then bust out into laughter. Yeah, the sinner would likely have done the same thing in his place. This kid with the funny color changes was being an awfully good sport though, and Ambrose could only appreciate him the more for it. His regeneration and the generality of his powers had meant that for him, their brief bout was not even the tongue of the firestorm for what he was capable of, but for a fresh fighter, losing an arm and at least two ribs like that was going to be harsh.

The hellion frowned. He couldn't just leave someone with such good humor in this pitiful state. He'd have to do something about that. Fortunately, he could do something about that. "Name's Ambrose," he said, introducing himself. "Ambrose Grail. I'm a sinner past my expiry date, on sabbatical from the pits of Hell." He grabbed onto his spirit satchel and started shuffling through it for something specific...

When he finally found it, Ambrose walked over to the shinigami and offered him a treat. It was a perfect, tiny cheesecake, small enough to be eaten in only one bite. A strawberry glaze topped it, and the cheesecake itself was a mixture of flavors in coconut and strawberry, with a graham cracker crust. He held the cheesecake bite out to Aoshi, prompting him to take it with his good hand. "Here," he said, "eat a few of these. I made them myself. They'll help you feel better. I have more here when you're done with this one."

He did know that eating with broken ribs wouldn't feel that great, but there was no other real way to communicate the effects of his cooking. And furthermore, he'd seen what hospitals charge for these kinds of injuries. It wasn't cheap, friendly, or really even all that fair. Kind of a racket, if he were being honest. So what else could he do at this point? Not help out his fellow punching-and-kicking warrior type? No, that wouldn't be fair and honorable at all. Hellion or not, he still had a conscience.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Items Used}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Coconut Strawberry Cheesecake Bites}Name: Coconut Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Description: A perfect little cheesecake, made small enough to be consumed in a single bite. Coconut, strawberry and graham cracker come together in a wonderful combination of flavors.
Class: 4
Item Type: Consumable
Item Power (IP): N/A
Offense Type: None
Durability: 100
Bonuses: A coconut strawberry cheesecake bite is an uplifting snack. Upon consumption, the bite heals its consumer of minor injuries or reduces critical injuries into major ones, major injuries into moderate ones, and moderate injuries into minor ones. (Critical injuries are crushed bones and flesh, lacerations and punctures up to 5 inches in severity, and fourth-degree tissue damage. Major injuries are broken bones and heavy bruising, lacerations and punctures up to 3 inches in severity, and third-degree tissue damage. Moderate injuries are cracked bones and moderate bruising, lacerations and punctures up to 1 inch in severity, and second-degree tissue damage. Minor injuries are bruised bones and light bruising, small scrapes and cuts, and first-degree tissue damage.)

When boosted by a Gadgeteer, each consumed cheesecake bite counts as two for the purposes of what healing is gained.
Drawbacks: Each cheesecake bite is consumed on use, even in an NDE thread. Cannot be consumed during any combat post.
Cost: 3,000 Ryo each
Crafting Skills: Culinary Arts 2
Donated to Urahara's: No

Out of Hell posts: 6/50 (no mask)

[Deleted]

A sinner? From Hell? Getting that as part of his introduction, Aoshi finally remembered one of the many lessons he had been paying very little attention to. Hadn't Hell invaded the Soul Society not too long ago, hence why they should be immediately hostile to the not-so-friendly denizens of the fire and brimstone? Well, even if they had, it was not like Aoshi gave too much of a damn about it in the first place; not only because he was no stickler for the rules and regulations of the Gotei 13, but because after their fight, Ambrose had his respect. Plus, there was the fact that he would've gotten killed if this was going for real. Having been given a good fight, Aoshi was satisfied, so there was no reason to begin pointing fingers with the self-righteous speeches that so many of his comrades seemed to be way too fond of.

"Ambrose... huh? I think... I like Jingles better", he repeated with a joke, stifling a cough. His ribcage hurt like hell, and his lungs were still recovering from having the wind getting punched out of them. "I'm... Aoshi Kuzan. Latest nobody to join the Tenth Squadron of the Gotei 13", he coughed again. He really should stop speaking until he had recovered from the fight. Before he could try to say anything else, however, Ambrose got closer to him and pulled out something from a strange satchel. It was food? Aoshi was not too sure about it making him feel any better, but truth be told, he was always hungry.

"When I was a kid... I was told... not to take food... from a stranger", he struggled to say, managing to keep his coughing reeled in. Even so, he still reached for the cheesecake... which began to slightly decay the moment it touched Aoshi's hand. Hence, he finished it in a single bite, as it was intended to. "But then again, cheesecake", he mumbled with a mouthful. The effect was immediate upon swallowing the delicious treat. Aoshi's pain receeded to more manageable levels, and not just in his chest. His arm also stopped throbbing so much, and he found that it was easier to move it than it was before.

Was that the effect of the cheesecake? If it was the case, then that cemented the fact that Ambrose didn't really come to Soul Society looking to kill anyone. Hell, there were plenty of Pluses around to sate that kind of bloodlust, and yet the fellow Kenpachi had had chosen to fight a Shinigami, all whilst not using any deadly force. "Huh... and they say sweets are bad for you. Thanks."

If Ambrose had more cheesecake to give, Aoshi wouldn't complain, but in the meantime, he had a few questions to ask.

"Why are you all the way in the middle of nowhere in Rukongai? I didn't pay much attention in the Academy, but Hell's last invasion made quite a number here from what I've heard. Sinners are not exactly welcome right now,", Aoshi said, swinging his arm. It really had recovered a lot, after that cheesecake. Funny, how that worked; perhaps it was one of Ambrose's special skills? "Not that I'm going to stop you, or call you scum and try to get on that fucking moral high ground. I really couldn't care less. But if some of the people we scared off end up calling for reinforcements, it might be trouble for you."

Aoshi moved the arm a bit, and tried to breathe deeply. Yes, his body was still aching all over the place, but it didn't hurt as much, and his coughing had stopped altogether. "Not to mention me, I guess. C46's pasty gray asses are pretty uppity about us talking to the 'enemy', and I'm already in their watchlist", he said, using air quotes when appropriate. "Pretty sure it will be death by giant fire chicken if they catch me."

[Camila Adaronde]

30 paras from Ambrose, meaning 300 TP, +100 TP from winning!
36 paras from Aoshi, meaning 360 TP!