Shade vs Kaen round 2 [NDE]

[Shade Kawada]

Shade was keeping Kaen on the defense as he’d planned. It was impossible for a hand-to-hand expert to defeat a swordsman of equivalent skill in his respective art. The advantage would always go to the weapon-wielder, however Kaen wore a vest of chain-mail, which made the fight a unique one indeed. The captain was left unsurprised when Kaen drew his blade after receiving a couple of gashes. It was a natural move considering the nature of Shade’s attack. Kaen couldn’t exactly defend against such strikes with his arms and legs. The first blow had been mostly guarded from by Kaen’s chainmail, however a vest was just that, and didn’t completely protect the shinigami from Shade’s assault. The end of the strike would knick Kaen’s shoulder, giving him a 2-inch long gash from the edge of his chain mail to the end of his shoulder. Nothing lethal or fight-ending, but damage had clearly been done. The second and third hits served to expose Kaen’s chain mail while the fourth provided Shade with a second connection. 



Kaen was hit along his left arm, a cut that would hit quite deeper than Kaen would have liked. Due to Danmaku’s nature, the cut would be as deep as the one Kaen incurred on his shoulder, drawing blood that would run down his arm. Danmaku was not the type of attack that would connect and not hit for full damage. All hits from the blade technique would be equivalent assuming they hit similar targets. The strikes were very different from Rio’s shockwaves or Okusa’s air blasts. They did not possess a travel time like a projectile. They were literally occurring the instant Shade’s swings were. It was a method Shade used to extend the cutting range of his blades beyond their physical reach, allowing them to hit the first thing within 30 yards of the shinigami. Because of this, it would hit someone 20 yards away at the same time it hit someone 5 yards away, and even if Kaen moved his arm backwards, the fact that it hit at all indicated a deeper wound would occur.

Though that was all largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of the battle occurring. It would not hinder Kaen, who possessed a significant toughness Shade had rarely come across before, from doing what he had planned. Shade allowed Kaen to parry his strikes as he closed the distance ever-so-gradually. Parrying all of Shade’s strikes with such a vast difference in sword skill was beyond Kaen, even with Shade using a mere dagger, however Shade wasn’t truly sold on harming Kaen further. Part of him was interested in seeing what the other Soul Reaper would do. Kaen indeed found the rhythm of Shade’s onslaught. A rhythm Shade had purposefully left for the vice-captain to find. A rhythm that was deceptively masked, and just difficult enough to find that it would feel authentic.

Shade found the need to reposition when Kaen twisted to avoid his thrust. A close shave, but not one that would happen without an immediate response from Shade who was currently in control of the fight’s pace without the intention of surrendering it. A shunpo allowed Shade to avoid the threat easily, taking him to the spot he’d initially hit Kaen with his Danmaku. He’d been the first to spend reiatsu, but it was better to play things safe while his Meiunatsuin seal was collecting power. However, there was also the issue of Shade’s stamina. A field in which Kaen surpassed him. He could not keep fighting for long, and so Shade did what he needed to in order to continue fighting. So he’d be the first to release as well. Such was life when dealing with issues such as stamina. “You’ve improved since last we fought…” Shade said as he placed his dagger back within his robes, “Befitting of a vice-captain… But that’s all you amount to…”

Shade held his zanpakutou out in front of him so that it pointed at Kaen. “Devour everything in your midst, Buraindo Kira…” he said as his zanpakutou transformed before Kaen into a familiar zweihander. It was covered in a bloody mess of flesh and organs with a gaping mouth in its center, gnashing its teeth as it thirsted for blood. Shade looked at the ground, finding traces of Kaen’s fallen blood. Stabbing his shikai into the ground it sucked up any splatter from Shade’s earlier Danmaku assault giving him a much-needed power boost. “Now… discover how weak you truly are…” he said, daring Kaen to attack him.

Meiunatsuin: Post 8
Combat Posts: 5/6
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,400
Shikai: 1/10

[Kaen Youji]

Unfortunately, there was one big hole in Shade's plan. ...Kaen wasn't bleeding. While it was true Shade's Danmaku had nicked Kaen's shoulder... the shoulder was one of the parts of his body protected by the chainmail. A proper chainmail vest, while it offered no protection below the belt, on the head, around the neck or the arms, it did a wonderful job of covering his entire torso, and shoulders, essentially covered most of the parts of his body that his sleeveless Gi did. And while Shade had indeed grazed his arm, it had not been a close enough cut to cause any notable bloodflow. Danmaku may have operated differently from standard air blows, but by the time the attack had grazed his arm, Kaen had more than had time to learn that lesson. While the rapid exchanges between the two had caused droplets of blood to well up along the small wound it had inflicted, they had not even begun to trickle out, and it would be several exchanges more before they would be dripping off to the ground. Thus Shade wouldn't be recovering too soon.

Still he was successful in evading Kaen for the time being, with his Shunpo. He'd gunned his way out of that sticky jam, and avoided taking any damage. But there was no bloody fountain of rejuvenation waiting for him on the other side. Shade then taunted Kaen, calling him "only" a Vice Captain's skill. Kaen gave a toothy grin in response. "Oh now, don't insult yourself so, Shade-chan. What does that say about the man who was beaten by one who only amounts to that?" He stated, obviously implicating that he still believed Shade would be defeated.

Kaen saw him release his Zanpakuto. He advanced on Shade, more easily now. Buraindo Kira was a massive weapon. Kaen could tell Shade was strong, but even strong as he was, it would not be optimum for him to use such an immense sword one-handed. Shade would have optimal control if he used both hands. Sure enough, the dagger was slipped back away, allowing Shade to better wield his immense, fleshy Zweihander. Kaen had fought Buraindo Kira before, and seen it used at least once since. He knew its abilities. It could suck him dry of his reiatsu if Shade could score a blow with it. That had happened in their first battle. Furthermore it seemed Shade was developing new powers with it. The way its teeth gnashed and snarled, he suspected the weapon had become stronger, somehow. Still. Unless it had gained some indirect attacks beyond those Shade had already demonstrated in Danmaku.

Kaen dropped his kodachi a hair, so that it hung in a low guard. From his knowledge of swordsmanship, he knew a low guard was a good one. It accomplished two purposes. The first was that it was more difficult to knock the blade aside-- a problem Kaen expected he'd have to face with Shade, as Shade's two handed grip would afford him more power, and his sword was much heavier. His Kodachi would be swatted aside easily, in anything but a direct block or parry. The second was that it gave the illusion of the upper body being vulnerable, when it only took a single motion to bring the weapon up to defend. But there was a third point. One not found in any sword manual, anywhere in the world. It kept his sword out of his own way so that Kaen could beat Shade down with his bare hands. For Kaen, the Kodachi was nothing but a tool. A shield. One could use a shield offensively, but all it was meant for, in Kaen's hand, was to defend himself from Shade's blows, and to distract Shade, so that he could let his honed body do the talking.

Kaen stopped one step beyond Shade's range. The standard range for swordfighting. He gauged his own range as well. Were Kaen to use a nodachi, of some kind, he would be one step beyond the range he needed to strike at Shade. Kaen did not have a nodachi. Were he to use a Katana, or other form of longsword, he would be two steps out of measure. Kaen used a Kodachi. A shortsword. He was three steps from being able to strike Shade. Under theoretical circumstances, this would, essentially mean that Shade might get three swings at him before he could counter. Of course, theory meant little in practice, and it also depended on how Shade himself responded. Kaen had seen Shade fight with this sword before. He was surprisingly quick with it, for such an immense blade, but he would still be prey to the weaknesses of such a large sword. While his strength would allow him to recover faster than most, there was still more blade to move through space. His swing would be slower on that count alone. And if Kaen could get in close, it would be little more than deadweight.

But first, Kaen would have to get in close. Shade asked him to discover how weak he was? "Ah, that's a tale I force myself to tell every day!" Pain was weakness leaving the body. Kaen trained himself until he could no longer move. ...Then the next day he'd try to push himself even one second longer than the day before. His forearm stung, but Kaen paid it no mind for the moment. The blood welling, but still refusing to flow, no doubt to Shade's disappointment. Likewise, it seemed Kaen wasn't even going to entertain the Captain with his release just yet. Kaen then kicked off, his body leaning forwards in a feinted movement, before weaving off to Shade's left. Although certainly not impossible, cuts to the left would be a hair more awkward, and a hair slower, than cuts towards the right. Not by much. But by enough. Kaen kept moving at a comfortable pace, to conserve his energy. This battle could be a long one, he acknowledged, and so needed to make sure he stayed fresh. Kaen had immense stamina, but he knew how quickly battle burned one's reserves of energy.

Either way, similarly to before, Kaen was attempting to spiral around Shade's left. Spiralling in, not circling in. With each step, he was closing in closer, and closer to Shade. Closing that distance a half step at a time. In a sudden flurry of motion, Kaen lunged forwards, attempting to close the distance in a single tremendous burst. His free hand planted itself on Shade’s wrist, to prevent the Kawada from bringing his sword to bear against him. As a result of Kaen’s unique headgear, this would also begin to leave a savage burn on Shade’s arm, further inhibiting his swordsmanship. His Kodachi carved a path through the air, aimed at Shade’s face once again, this time with the blade. Kaen was targeting the Kawada’s forehead, just about the eyes. He fully expected that Shade would be able to avoid the worst of the attack, but even a light cut on his forehead would cause substantial bleeding, and blood would freely flow into the Kawada’s eyes, inhibiting his sight, and making it much more difficult for Shade to defend against Kaen in the future. And just as before, whilst Shade’s focus was high, Kaen threw a sudden low combination of strikes.

First he threw a powerful leg kick, aiming for Shade’s thigh. A direct hit would cause substantial pain and inhibit Shade’s movement. Scarcely giving pause to plant his foot on the ground again, Kaen threw a second strike—this time a knee attack towards Shade’s groin. One knew the general effects that would have. And then, as a concluding move, Kaen brought the same leg to bear a third time, in a sweep kick against the same leg he had targeted with the leg kick, smashing Shade’s leg out from under him. Kaen made sure to maintain control of at least one of Shade’s arms, so that he could not bring Buraindo Kira to bear against Kaen while he did this, locking down the wrist, and burning it badly. If Shade could not defend against this, then he’d be facing another trip to the ground, with the added benefits of a badly scorched wrist, severe pain from the groin strike, an injured leg to prevent so easy a recovery as last time. And a severe head wound which could potentially end the battle, if Shade did not mitigate it.

Of course, things would bode even worse for Shade if he, for whatever reason, opted not to circle to meet Kaen. If Shade was foolish enough to allow Kaen to spiral around to his back, the Kawada would feel a rather tremendous pain as Kaen drove his fist into Shade's kidneys, in a powerful reverse punch, and then his leg would buckle, as Kaen threw a stomping kick into the back of his knee to force him to the ground, and finish with a stabbing thrust through the back. This, possibility, of course, only existed if Shade did not prevent Kaen from taking his back.

[Amagai Kuchiki]

+650 TP (55 Paragraphs and winner bonus)