Kuroi vs the Squad 10 Newbie [PG-13, NDE]

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Thread Title: Kuroi vs the Squad 10 Newbie
Participants: Kuroi Naito and Himitsu Misute
World: Human World
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: PG-13
Location: A dry, hot desert somewhere in Arizona in the middle of the day.
Special Conditions: None
Circumstances: There were several unexplained disappearances of shinigami that had been assigned to patrol this region of the Human World. With none of them reporting, the Class 4 4th seat of the 10th Squad was assigned to investigate and purge the area of whatever was eliminating so many shinigami one by one. His orders were to engage, eliminate, and report back to Soul Society. But he didn't expect to find such a threatening opponent. The Class 0 legendary Espada: Kuroi Naito.

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Himitsu's gaze steadily pass over the empty desert horizon that encompassed him in 360 degrees, piecing together the parts of the report he was to send back to Soul Society after completing the mission. So far, he had a pretty good start: "It was hot and there was a lot of sand and cacti." He smiled to himself, something he typically did to cover up his inner frustration. Whatever this threat, it was taking its time to appear. At this rate, he'd have to wait for it till the sunset and the sun was still directly above him. It would take another six hours at least but that's about as long as Himitsu would be willing to wait this threat out for the time being.

He raises his head to once again scan the environment around him. To put it simply, it is dead. Dead of any life and activity. Even the bright green cacti seem to be suspended in time to preserve the little livelihood they have. This desert isn't Himitsu's idea of a beautiful location and the sooner he could get out of there, the better. He kicked some dust on the ground while murmuring to himself, "Come out, come out, where ever you are."

Surprise, surprise. Out of nowhere, at that moment, Himitsu felt an overwhelming spiritual pressure suddenly materialize out of no where. He draws his sealed zanpakuto and, alert as ever, searches for the new enemy. His eyes dart from side to side, turning his body in complete circles as he searches. His smile is replaced by a tense, focussed frown. Himitsu isn't sure what he is going up against yet except for the fact that it is insanely strong, and that's enough to summon butterflies deep in his stomach.

But he needs to keep his head straight if he hopes to survive any of this at all, not to mention win. He takes a deep breath, inhaling and sealing his lungs for three seconds before diffusing the air at a very slow, controlled rate. He instantly felt his conscience sharpen in preparation. "Let's have some fun," he whispers under his breath with false cheer in his voice.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills}
Mental Incantation Level 2

Calm Mind Level 2

Battle Analysis Level 2

Illusion Resist Level 1

Learning Level 2

Weapons: Swords Level 1

Battle Focus Level 2

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Strength - 50 Points

Speed - 150 Points

Spiritual Pressure - [125x1.25] 156 Points

Reiatsu Strength - [200x1.25] 250 Points

Light Aura - 80 Points

Dark Aura - 20 Points

Instinct - [100x.75] 75 Points

Senses - [100x.75] 75 Points

Energy sensory - [75x.75] 56 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 800 Points

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Worth noting, you will find that your posts are easier in past tense. We have a rule which says that your posts should be third person past tense, however the sheer onslaught of present tense novels released in the past 3-4 years have caused me to be a bit lax on upholding it, meaning that I've been treating it more as a guideline than as a rule. Regardless, I recommend past tense.

IC:

"AAARRRGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" a scream tore through the air as Himitsu approached the source of the ominous black reiatsu. Though it was beckoning, the reiatsu was anything but welcoming. It was cold, harsh, and so massive that it was as if an ocean of overwhelming power was crushing down on anyone who dared to approach its source. The closer to it that Himitsu arrived, the more difficult it would become to breathe. The reiatsu, clearly that of some sort of Hollow, was menacing. It was malevolent in every way, and being anywhere near it was so crushing as to induce actual physical pain. The owner of said reiatsu, however, was no mere Hollow. This was what a great deal of Shinigami had found out as they'd encountered him. Kuroi Naito, the Segunda Espada, an Arrancar whose short black hair, cut in layers, was recognizable by any who were up to date with current power figures. His merciless black eyes gazed outward with a cold, unwavering gaze. The Arrancar was dressed in a black suit and shoes, with the shirt pulled out and slightly crinkled from combat, the tie black and hanging, and with shiny black dress shoes.

However, the scream had not been Kuroi's. It belonged to another, far weaker soul, a Shinigami. This Shinigami, dressed in black robes identical to those of several nearby comrades, was standing upright, but barely able to do so. His legs were shaking, and it was clear that he wanted to sink to his knees. Through sheer strength of will alone, he did not, despite the fact that Kuroi's left hand had penetrated all the way into the man's heart area, and Kuroi was more than likely gripping the heart of his enemy. Blood was staining the black robes and parts of Kuroi's black suit sleeves. His hand was also more than likely being stained by blood. Kuroi, taller by more than a head, had his eyes fixed on those of the dying Shinigami, whose once loud scream had trailed off into coughs and pathetic, gasping gurgles as blood leaked forth from his mouth. He was choking, and rightly so, given the pain and the injury inflicted upon him by the Segunda Espada. However, he was not the first, nor would he be the last. Four corpses lay strewn across the desert, killed by Kuroi, and he was the fifth. Four remained, wide-eyed.

The four charged as Kuroi pulled his hand out of the victim. Black eyes moved around in their sockets with extreme speed and precision, a sort of focused cunning achieved by close to none. Kuroi was easily able to take a step to dodge the first blade of the first incoming of the four, and in that same simultaneous motion grab that one's arm and break it, before taking the incoming Zanpakuto from the destroyed arm. Using that stolen Zanpakuto, Kuroi cleaved off both hands of the incoming second Shinigami, performing a spinning slash which took both the hands of the second, and the throat of the first, killing the first. This slash was ended by Kuroi twisting it into a stab into the heart of the second Shinigami. The blade tore out the other end, piercing through the second's back. Kuroi whirled the body around, dragging it with the sword, and stuck the sword tip into the chest of the third incoming Shinigami. With three beaten, Kuroi dropped the sword, leaving the two corpses to fall, and turned on the fourth and incoming, grabbing that one by the throat and hoisting him up. "Is that all?" Kuroi asked coldly. "How regrettable."

Himitsu would more than likely arrive in time to see Kuroi drop the fourth to the ground with a broken neck. He would, in that event, see nine corpses of nine Shinigami. Some of these had emblems on their uniforms identifying them as seated officers, indicating an opponent whose level was enough to take care of nine total Shinigami at seated officer level. They were all relatively low, weak seats, ranging from sixteenth to ninth, but the fact that they had been beaten simultaneously by one man was daunting, to say the least. As Himitsu arrived, the black eyes of the Segunda Espada turned on the new Shinigami, though Kuroi did not fully turn his body to face this foe. Rather, the cold eyes of the Espada continued to gaze upon those of Himitsu. The reiatsu was intimidating, to say the least, as must surely be the fact that nine Shinigami were dead at Kuroi's feet. The massacre that had just taken place was surely something which must be fresh and new to one who was only fresh and new himself as a Shinigami. Kuroi said nothing at that time.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}

Strength - [200{1/2}(100)] Points

Speed - [400] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400{x2.5}(1000)] Points

Light Aura - [0] Points

Dark Aura - [100] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses [200] Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [400] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills}

[Weapons: Sword] {4}

[Battle Analysis] {4}

[Analyzing] {3}

[Pain Tolerance] {3}

[Battle Abilities Other: Mixed Martial Arts (Kung Fu/BJJ/Muay Thai)] {3}

[Calm Mind] {2}

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

OOC: Overall, I was confused at first regarding the tense but thanks for clearing it up for me. And the beginning of this post is a cinematic until Himitsu finally gets close to Kuroi.

IC:

Something wasn't right. At first, Himitsu couldn't put his finger on it but after a few moments in deep thought, it hit him. There was more than one source of reiatsu in the near distance. Maybe four or five total? But one massive source of spiritual energy drowned out the whispers of the rest of the reiatsu sources with a loud, vicious scream. Himitsu's face was gravely serious as he slowly unsheathed his zanpakuto. Whatever was out there was some type of hollow, and ever since his first experience with hollows, he could never forgive them for who they took away. He could never forgive himself for not being able to protect her...

Himitsu's cold, piercing eyes snap back into focus. This is no time to dwell on the past, he thought to himself. Things are different now. Years of Shinigami training molded him into the capable warrior he is today. He didn't have that strength before and couldn't possibly defend himself against a hollow, not to mention another person. But no matter how much he tried to convince himself, Himitsu still had that linger guilt that came with blaming himself for her death. But, with the power he felt surging through him from the hilt of his zanpakuto, he knew he couldn't possibly let another person in his sight fall victim to a beastly hollow.

Forcing a half-hearted smile, he looked down at the blade he held in his right hand. "You ready for this, Karaitami?" Sometimes, he enjoyed talking to her, although she seldom answered. Even with her silence that she even maintained in this situation, she made him feel less alone. It was comforting and he knew that he could rely on her to give him strength and power. "I'm going to take that as a yes," he answered for her. Might put words in her mouth if she refuses to open it. 

It was about that moment after he spoke when his stomach sank to the ground. The spiritual energy he was sensing before from the weaker sources were starting to disappear. First, one vanished in an instant. He felt another grow significantly fainter before a third was completely annihilated. Himitsu began to panic. He had to get there, and quickly. And he had the perfect technique to do so. He had never truly practiced his Flash Steps for the purpose of battle, but he was adequate enough with the skill to use it to transport himself.

He concentrated his reiatsu across the bottom of each foot before releasing the energy in an ereption that launched him a good distance across the desert. He didn't have much control over the skill yet so his main focus was to use it to clear as much distance as possible with each activation of the technique. It took him five applications of Shunpo [Flash Steps] until he could clearly see the figures of the energy sources he detected. However, only two were upright. The other three were limp on the ground.

After one more usage of Shunpo, he was finally within 150 meters from where the real action was taking place. But from the gory sight, Himitsu's surprised, yet grim experession revealed that he was not too willing to join. Puddles of blood surrounded the remaining standing figures. Of course, they flowed out of the lifeless bodies of the shinigami- well, former shinigami that rest in death's hands on the ground. But there were definitely more than four bodies on the ground, the number at least doubled what he had expected to find. The last four to fall at this demon's hand must have been the only ones alive enough for him to sense. And as the tall, muscular man with jet-black hair threw aside the final man, but he was dead long before he hit the ground.

Himitsu was initially struck by fear, he was about to take a step back out of his involunatry "fight or flight" response (apparently, his body wasn't too sure fighting gave him much of a chance in this case) but his sudden fatigue from the immense pressure from this fearsome threat shocked him right out of his retreat. Drops of sweat started to form at his forehead as he fought the unbearable pressure that ate away at his strength. But the sight of the fallen shinigami recharged him with power that came directly from his fury and anger. He had failed again to protect those in need and he sure as hell would at least avenge them.

Bent his knees, positioning his feet at an angle diagonal to his opponent so that his right arm that wielded his sword was the first part of his bulky figure to face the enemy. As he lifted his katana to a steady fighting position, his sharp eyes began studying his foe like an eagle. He was definitely far more powerful than any hollow he could imagine, which could only mean that he is an Arrancar. Other than that, though, Himitsu had no knowledge of the unknown character before him. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew this person's face. It looked unmistakably familiar, yet he can't place any sort of background behind it. Maybe he resembled slightly someone Himitsu had known from his past living life. That happened often enough to him and it was frustrating to have no memory of your past, but Himitsu had to push back those distractions to the back of his mind. It was time to focus on his threatening opponent ahead.

Himitsu glanced at the blade the Arrancar held, making a mental note to himself. This threat was definitely a more proficient swordsman that he, and he would have to avoid close quarters as much as possible in this case. Resorting to his powerful kido techniques were probably the best strategy for him at the moment. Himitsu's breathing began to come more heavily, and the longer he stands before this man, the more exhausted he would become. It was time to act. Himitsu lifted his free left hand, pointing his extended fingers across his body and directly at his target. "Arise god of thunder! Awake mother of storms! Unleash the lighting on the sinners! Hado #4: Byakurai" As he spoke the kido's incantation, a faint blue light illuminated his extended hand, and, with the name of the Hado, was released in an immense bolt of lightning that was aimed to hit the Arrancar in the chest. His accuracy was dead on.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1385/1560 (-150 for the total amount of activations of Shunpo [Flash Steps], -25 for Hado #4: Byakurai)

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Lesson one. If you launch an attack, I get my post to guard against it. If my defense fails, I am hit. If it works, well you'll see.

IC:

Kuroi threw aside the blade he held, which had been the Shinigami's stolen from earlier. A mere Asauchi, these pathetic, unnamed Zanpakuto, was unfit for his hands. More to the point, it did not even possess the quality of reiatsu that Kuroi did, even if he was the wielder, rendering it obsolete in his eyes. He had used it only for a brief moment with which to kill one of his enemies. However, now he threw it aside, deeming it useless, and kept his right hand in his pocket casually. Only one hand was free, the left one. This was because the level of adversary was less than mediocre at best, and there was no need to take it seriously, as no threat was even presented to the Arrancar. Kuroi, always scanning, always watching, and always observing, would easily be able to detect any such threat. However, there was none. Seated officers were useless before the might of a mighty Espada, especially the Segunda, whose rank topped him within the top three strongest Arrancar alive. No Shinigami had ever defeated Kuroi.

That being said, Kuroi was irritated at the sudden appearance of a tenth Shinigami. They just kept coming from out of nowhere, more and more. They were fodder, and none seemed to understand in spite of themselves and their fear the gravity of the situation. This one was different from the others, in that all of the Shinigami killed prior had been close range combatants. This one was choosing a long range approach, which might have been prudent, were it not for the fact that the attacker's reiatsu was so abysmally weak as to have literally no effect whatsoever. Kuroi noted the incoming Byakurai, and several possibilities came to mind. One was dodging, as doing so at that distance and with Kuroi's masterful movements and speed would be easy. However, this was not the way to go. It was hardly demoralizing to see an opponent dodge something. Dodging implied that there was a danger to the attack, as if had it hit, and had it not been dodged, it would actually have accomplished some sort of damage. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Kuroi's left hand reached out with lightning reflexes, reacting fluidly as it snaked through the air and snapped into the way of the Byakurai. The Kido struck the back of Kuroi's left hand, and he flicked his hand, performing a quick, easy flicking motion to deflect it off of the back of his hand and away from himself. It shattered and dissipated in mid air, vanishing just like that. Nothing was left, not even steam. Kuroi's left hand was totally unmarked, despite the Byakurai. He had deflected it, casting it aside bare handed, and still had received no damage whatsoever. There wasn't even a slight mark, or any sort of scratch. It was not unexpected. Kuroi's steel skin defense, his mighty Hierro, was undeniably one of the most powerful within the ranks of the Espada, and an attack of such low level did not have the power to penetrate. It lacked the sufficient and necessary power to even so much as scratch the Segunda Espada. In this way, Kuroi was easily able to guard against what would normally have been a dangerous attack...to a lower level, at any rate.

"You must be joking." Kuroi said, speaking directly to the Shinigami, and addressing him by calling out across the wide space between them. "The gap between us is enormous, and yet all of you continue to press me, as if you have something to prove or to gain. There is no possibility of your victory. You must have recognized that the instant you found me surrounded by the corpses of your allies. They recognized my strength the moment the first attacker's blade simply shattered against my Hierro. And yet, they continued to attack, as do you." Kuroi pondered this. Oftentimes, he had come across this situation. Shinigami were always outmatched by him. Surely, they would have learned their lesson by now. Just by seeing his face and his clothes, most Shinigami Captains recognized Kuroi, and knew his strength. Vice Captains did on occasion know him instantly as well. Either way, all that he had ended up facing had recognized that they were inferior, and had continued to fight him. This continually perplexed the Segunda Espada.

"Do you hope to avenge them?" Kuroi asked. "If you wanted to avenge your comrades, you would have fled and found me again later, having trained. Right now, you aren't even worth fighting. How can you avenge anyone if you simply die here? If you want to avenge them, then how do you hope to accomplish this? If you cannot win, then how can you avenge?" Kuroi was growing sickened and irritated by this overconfidence and zealous arrogance displayed by all Shinigami whom he encountered. Each and every one of them. From Bokuga Sayuri to Niaga Hinsshi. From Shade Kawada to Sozen Kuchiki. All of them wanted to defeat Kuroi, and all of them believed that there was something to fighting him, despite realizing that they were weaker than he was. It was not only irritating, but most certainly one of the more pathetic things about Shinigami. They lacked pragmatism. They were poorly conditioned, and had no real instincts to speak of.

"Or perhaps..." Kuroi reasoned. "You wish to die." He extended his left hand outward, aiming it at Himitsu, as if threatening the Shinigami. Kuroi too could fire projectiles. He did not yet, but it was clear that he could. Therefore, what would Himitsu do in that case, with the Segunda Espada threatening him in such a way?

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Himitsu nearly smiled as the Byakurai sailed easily through the air towards the man. He began to anticipate the inevitable direct hit the arrancar would receive from the Kido technique. However, any hopes he had dropped from the sky at a sudden realization. He wasn't even trying to avoid the spell, but rather indifferenlty waited for it to approach. Before the shinigami could even contemplate the reason for his lack of concern, the man nonchalantly swatted the Byakurai to the side with the mere back of his hand. It was there and then… it wasn't. Himitsu had a bad feeling he would follow its example.

"You must be joking." That was his wake up call. Unless he throws something serious at the arrancar, something even a captain would have to at least avoid. Maybe if this man is as cocky as he hoped, he might try to treat the next technique in the same way he might with the Byakurai. Himitsu put on a different face, one that he'd normally wear in less fatal company. But he wasn't about to let the arrancar think that he had scared another shinigami out of his wits. He kept his Zanpakuto level and his body ready to react to any possible threat his enemy might throw at him.

"I've been told I'm a funny guy, actually. But if that was the joke, you obviously took away the punch line," he called out to the arrancar, not moving an inche. It was all he could do to keep his voice level and purged of fear and anxiety. He had almost stopped listening to the arrancar, focussing on calming himself down. He didn't need the opponent to point out the obvious difference in their strength. Even Himitsu could understand that, and he did so with silent, yet heavy concern.

"Do you hope to avenge them?" Yes would have been Himitsu's first response. However, now that the thought about it, vengeance was never his true intention. His only goal and objective as a shinigami is to protect innocent souls as well as his comrades from the likes of the evil arrancar and hollows, such as the malicious man that stood before him. His first failure of the day was letting his fellow shinigami subordinates die, being unable to save them. His second would be letting this man escape. To do so would make him at fault for not protecting any of the arrancar's future victims. He had to make a stand now, not train for a long period of time in which he would allow the arrancar to build stacks of his victims like a skyscraper skyline in New York.

Himitsu extended his left hand, maintaining the same form that he had with his first byakurai. But, it was time for him to try something different and take it a notch up. First, however, Himitsu activated another Hoho Kido technique that might aid the shinigami in taking his superior enemy by surprise. With the use of Ashibumi Daichi, he could position the steps like stairs leading towards the arrancar so that he may elevate himself about 15 feet in the air and close some of the distance between him and the enemy, leaving less room and less time for the foe to react. As he climbed higher into the air, Himitsu recited this new incantation with as much power as he could summon. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado #63: Raikōhō!" Although his left hand was slightly numbed from the initial activation of Byakurai, he was sure that he had perfect accuracy with the Raikoho. With the new elevated angle, he was praying that he would finally hit. The giant heavy bolt of lightning flew out from his hand, starting its path straight towards the arrancar.

Remaining Reiatsu: 110/1560 (-150 for Hado #63: Raikōhō, -75 for activating Ashibumi Daichi, -50 for maintaining Ashibumi Daichi for one post)

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Lesson two! We're in the human world. Air Ground exists, meaning you can literally stand in mid air by gathering spirit particles to the soles of your feet.

IC:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

Kuroi was not impressed by the attack level of this Shinigami. His opponent was attempting to use some sort of advanced Hoho technique to gain an advantage and closed distance, but had failed to recognize that there was no need to create a stairway. This was a waste of reiatsu either to achieve some sort of psychological advantage by showing off, or to set up for an advanced maneuver. However, Kuroi, a master combat analyst, was easily able to see through all movements and ruses of any opponents, especially those of such low level. Not only was there nothing worth mentioning about his opponent's movements, but if the Segunda Espada wanted to, he knew that he could pick apart these moves and kill the Shinigami in mere seconds. However, as with the others from before, Kuroi would kill only when his foe was more directly attacking. The others had died simply because they had been foolish enough to get within his range of basic retaliation. There was to be no consolation for the foolish. This one was clearly especially foolish, in that he kept attacking despite witnessing Kuroi's Hierro. He also talked far too much.

"Pathetic." Kuroi admonished. This time, he did not even bother to move a muscle as the Raikoho approached him. It smacked straight into Kuroi with a thunderous roar. An explosion of reiatsu blasted all around the Segunda Espada, obscuring him from view with light and obscuring any sounds that he made with the echoing of detonation, a powerful blast. When it finished, several more seconds passed where view of Kuroi was obstructed, this time from the smoke created by the explosion, and the dust kicked up by the blast. It formed a hazy cloud too opaque to see through, which took several seconds to clear. However, when it did, it became clear that Kuroi, once again, was unharmed. Even his clothing seemed to have had some sort of immunity to the power, as even the outfit was unharmed, and not even a spec of dust was on it despite the explosion. This was of course the power of Kuroi's Hierro at work. So long as his reiatsu strength held such an absolute superiority over Himitsu's, none of those Kido had any chance of inflicting harm to the Segunda Espada.

When the dust cloud cleared, Kuroi spoke once again. "Is that all?" he challenged. "What did you expect to accomplish with that pathetic output of power? Your reiatsu lacks sufficient bite to even scratch me." Kuroi raised up his left palm, aiming it directly at Himitsu this time, though still without removing his right hand from his pocket. Kuroi maintained a relaxed position, showing that he held no respect at all for his opponent, and would not even fight the Shinigami seriously. Of course not. This was to be expected. This one was not even at the level to face one of Kuroi's subordinates, his Fraccion. It was obvious that an Espada himself, though clearly this one had no idea that Kuroi was an Espada, would never respect the likes of an enemy such as this. As a result, it became clear to Kuroi that he needed to show some reason for his foe to be intimidated by his power. "Observe." Kuroi told Himitsu sternly, as if he were a strict instructor admonishing his pupil for utter failure. "This is what a real attack looks like."

A Bala materialized and fired from Kuroi's left palm. It was an enormous orb of reiatsu rocketing toward Himitsu with unimaginable speed. Twenty times faster than a Cero, the technique known as "Bala" was aptly named. Translated from Spanish to English, meaning "bullet," it was faster even than the Shinigami Kido, Byakurai. It cost less reiatsu than the likes of Raikoho, however Kuroi's Bala was immeasurably more powerful than Himitsu's Raikoho, not to mention far larger as a result. While most Bala were averagely the size of a basketball, Kuroi's was easily the size of a large carrier truck, if not larger, and was larger even than the average Arrancar's Cero. It was such an enormous and fast attack that Kuroi suspected an amateur such as Himitsu might have trouble dodging it. It was not impossible to dodge, only difficult. Blocking it, on the other hand, Kuroi suspected to be impossible with that level of strength. However, Kuroi had released it only to intimidate. If it hit, the Bala would instantly vaporize his foe, though Kuroi expected a narrow dodge. It was unlikely that this hit would be the finishing blow.

If it was aptly dodged, the Bala would instead strike an elevated hill section along the sand, and cause an enormous blast of reiatsu and sand into the air, considerably larger than the Raikoho's blast had been. It would be enough to make a large amount of sand rain down over the area on which the two fought. That being said, Kuroi was also irritated that his foe had the audacity, especially as a low level, to dare to fight him with such weak Kido and with an ordinary katana. Kuroi felt it to be absolutely insulting. "You are foolish." Kuroi informed his opponent. "That you would dare to engage any opponent of superior level to your own, especially an Arrancar, without even releasing your Zanpakuto. If I were to attack you seriously, you would be dead in an instant. The fact that you have not yet used Shikai simply means that you are incapable of logically assessing your combat situation." Indeed, Kuroi lectured his opponent not only as a source of battle taunting, but psychological warfare. By constantly beating down and trodding over his foe, eventually, he could cause them to accept some sort of lack of worth, or some sort of failure, and give into Despair.

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 3950 Reiatsu

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

OOC: I was so surprised to see how awesome the soundtrack made it.

IC:

Himitsu knew what was coming. Before the Raikōhō had even touched Kuroi, he was certain that there was no hope for success. The Hado had slammed into the arrancar, throwing hot desert dust into the air all around him in a cloudy cloak that teased the shinigami by hiding the result of his attempted attack. However, when the billow of sand cleared, the Esapda's untouched appearance confirmed Himitsu's second failed attempt to attack the arrancar. In the enemies words, it was "pathetic."

Himitsu's fell back to the ground, effortlessly landing on his feet. The impact had caused a small handful of sand to leap off the ground and float in the air, creating a small, transparent fog around his feet. Himitsu squinted his eyes in focus, racking his brain for any possible technique that might be able to break the arrancar's impenetrable defense. Both Byakurai and Raikōhō had already been rendered useless against his impervious guard and Himitsu was now certain that hado is pointless against this enemy. But before he could decide what new approach to take, the arrancar spoke. "Observe. This is what a real attack looks like," he stated arrogantly, almost like he was dwarfing a lighter with a forest fire.

Kuroi pointed his palm at the shinigami, and Himitsu knew what was coming. It was the arrancar's turn to attack and, based on the results of Himitsu's kido, he knew this would not be pretty at all for himself. Himitsu's gripped the hilt of his zanpakuto so tightly that his knuckles were a ghostly white. His mind raced, trying to consider the best form of defense. The first idea that popped into his head was to activate an Arc Shield, but he immediately tossed it to the side. With the gap in reaitsu strength, he wouldn't stand a chance with that defense and would most certainly die. His best shot was to dodge.

Himitsu prepared to suddenly dart to the side to evade the cero he anticipated. However, to his surprise, Kuroi had activated a Bala. From what he had learned at the Shinigami academy, a Bala is significantly weaker than a cero, despite its superior speed. But that chapter couldn't have been referencing the massive size of Kuroi's Bala that was about as wide as the combined lanes of a track. So much for being "small spheres with an average radius of a foot," as the text book put it.

If Himitsu wanted any chance of evading the technique, he had to move now. And with the Bala approaching so quickly, his only shot was to rely on Shunpo. After instantly concentrating his reiatsu into his feet, Himitsu immeidately launched himself fifty meters to the side, just in time to watch the destructive technique sail through the sport he had occupied moments ago and slam into a sand dune. However, with that much condensed reiatsu ramming into the hill, a cloud of sand was launched into the air in all directions, settling in a thick fog that prevent Himitsu from seeing more than a meter in front of him, not to mention stinging his eyes with sharp, hot sand when he tried. He covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his left hand squinting to see past the dust. His right hand stayed tightly around the hilt of his zanpakuto.

Kuroi's voice called out from somewhere in the cloud, "You are foolish. That you would dare to engage any opponent of superior level to your own, especially an Arrancar, without even releasing your Zanpakuto. If I were to attack you seriously, you would be dead in an instant. The fact that you have not yet used Shikai simply means that you are incapable of logically assessing your combat situation." Although it pained him, Himitsu knew that the arrancar was right. How could he continue that battle without the use of his shikai. It was time to call on his partner in the fight and start using his full strength, despite however miniature it might appear to be beside the arrancar. He would at least fight to his fullest extent and know that he put in his all to protect the world from this arrancar. Failure was not an option.

"Scream, Karaitami!" Himitsu's blade shined in his right hand as he held it horizontally in front of him, glowing with blinding light as it's shape begins to change. The blade stretches forward and the guard is molded into a strange, unusual kite shape. Just as the light dims down, a there is a sudden final flash and a thunderous boom. Lightning fizzes around the blade as it is finally revealed in Himitsu's hand. Himitsu used shunpo once again to get him clear of the sandy mist. He stood at its end, and yelled into it, "I'm ready, arrancar. Let's finish this already."

Reiatsu Remaining: 1110/1560 (-50 for total Shunpo and -200 for Shikia)

Shikai Post: 1/10

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Don't forget Shikai post count. In addition to reiatsu, you should have Shikai: 1/10, as the release of Shikai is the first post of your ten Shikai posts. Also, lesson three. Never have a passive post of non-attack during the same post that you release. It wastes a valuable post of Shikai.

IC:

Thunder roared in the sky. Kuroi looked up, perplexed. His surprise did not show on his face, but he really had not expected the sound of thunder. When had the sky grown so dark, so covered by these clouds? When had it become so gray and billowing as to produce this thunderstorm? The slurred roll of thunder echoed in the otherwise empty desert, and droplets of rain began to tumble from the sky, racing for the ground. Their imprints remained in the sand as they poured down and touched, leaving a million imprints of droplets which sank beneath and disappeared. Eventually, the sand was simply marred by wetness, and it was impossible to distinguish individual droplets. Kuroi could hear the sizzling of water touching his opponent's blade, and he saw the sparking of electricity on it. Indeed, rain was something which he had not expected, least of all here in this empty desert. Kuroi suspected that it was because he was so used to the white desert of Hueco Mundo, which was plunged eternally into night and into clear skies. There was no rain in that world. Where Kuroi came from, the sky had no clouds or even stars. It had only a moon upon which to gaze, and blackness all around elsewhere.

"Finish?" Kuroi asked Himitsu. How strange, that this Shinigami wanted to end the battle already, knowing full well who had the advantage, and who was presently dominating it. "You speak as if this has been a full battle, or as if I was waiting on you to become a worthy adversary. It is obvious that you are not a worthy adversary for me, and that if we continue, you will die. If your Kido cannot harm me, then it is self evident that your blade, even electrified, cannot cut me." What Kuroi said naturally made a great deal of sense, in that he could easily defeat his opponent, and both were aware of it. Certainly, Himitsu could attempt to target the weak spots on Kuroi's Hierro, namely the eyes, but it was unlikely that the Shinigami could gain a hit against an opponent who was able to fight so smoothly, even while using only one arm and minimal movements. Kuroi, who had yet to even draw his own sword, was not intending for his opponent to even be able to land any sort of scratch. It was obvious how things were going to play out for the Segunda and the Shinigami.

"You are better off simply running away." Kuroi advised the seated officer, whose name he had not even bothered to even attempt to discern, as there was no reason to learn anything about a weakling such as this. "If you continue to attack me, I will shatter your sword and your body. That is the only guarantee of this battle. Your failure." Kuroi was suggesting to his opponent to run away and do nothing. If this was what happened, then perhaps Himitsu would live to see another day. As it was, the Shinigami probably was going to fight, and Kuroi knew this. He had encountered many who claimed that they had some reason to keep going. Whether it was Bokuga Sayuri, who managed to score a blow only with Bankai, or Niaga Hinsshi, who sacrificed an arm using the Itto Kaso technique and was still unable to strike Kuroi, it did not matter. Kuroi had faced many Shinigami at this point, defeated dozens of them, and beaten well over ten Captains. He had even killed a few in his lifetime. Still, Shinigami continued to pester him. There was nothing more irritating.

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

A small smile was tugging on the corners of Himitsu as the rain began to pour down his face and eventually sink into the dry, desert soil. Most people Himitsu had come across despised this stormy weather, believing that it was a waste of what could have been a beautiful day. However, Himitsu's thoughts are the opposite. Rain is far less common than the burning hot sun, so why not enjoy it when it comes and welcome its return another time. It wasn't as warm as a clear day but, at the same time, it lived up to its symbolic identity by making Himitsu feel almost purged of his problems, like the rain was washing his thoughts away and leaving only the pure happiness he finds that he can never truly lose. On any normal day, he would lay his zanpakuto to the side and lie down on some grassy field with the water droplets dancing on his face. But today wasn't that kind of comfortable, carefree day.

The falling water that fell through the cloud of sand grabbed as many grains of dust and returned them to the ground. Eventually, the fog of dust was gone and Himitsu could once again see the Arrancar's figure clearly. "Excuse me, mister…. uh…." Himitsu's voice trailed off, leaving more than enough time for the Arrancar to fill in his name. It was his discreet way of discovering who he was dealing with if he lived long enough to have to report back to Soul Society. He almost laughed, realizing that he was still thinking of his assigned task in the face of a far more powerful enemy than both he and Soul Society had expected. He would probably have been instructed to retreat by his Captain, but there was no one here to back him up or take on the challenge with a reasonable chance of winning.

"As I was saying, am I the only one who thinks you talk way too much?" Contrary to how it sounded, Himitsu did not intend that to be a rude comment at all. He growing exponentially in frustration with the constant speeches the Arrancar would toss at him with every move that he would make. It was annoying, and talking is for cocktail parties, not the battlefield. What Himitsu wouldn't do to be at a cocktail party right now.

It appeared that his enemy wasn't planning on attacking so Himitsu knew he was waiting to yet again retaliate against his next attack, trying to humiliate him more and more. But there had to be a reason why not even a direct attack from his Raikoho had absolutely no impact. The only lesson he ever had regarding Arrancars was in one of his Hollow Knowledge classes in the Shino Academy. There was some sort of defense they had, something that started with a 'G' or 'H', but the Shinigami couldn't remember the name. He never could commit all of those lectures to memory. But what did interest him was that there were weak spots. He couldn't remember all of them, but what he could dig up from that muffled memory was that one of the weaknesses was the eye and the other was the ear. As long as he could land a hit in one of those areas, he might finally do some damage. It was a long-shot, but Himitsu had to give it a try.

For starters, Himitsu planned on utilizing the rain first. If he could somehow get close enough with his Raitoningu Juden technique active, the rain would be conductive enough to not just cause a numbing affect but second degree burns as well. And if a miracle occurred and he was able to pierce the Arrancar's skin in one of the weak spots, the burn would be severe to the point of a fourth degree burn, where not only the skin is affected but the tissue beneath the skin, meaning organs and muscles. Himitsu had to attempt it at the very least.

But, even with Shunpo, it would still be very difficult to get too close. He needed to divide the Arrancar's attention as much as possible. And his Shikai provided him with just the technique he needed: Inazuma, Lightning Bolt. Himitsu raised his zanpakuto so that it pointed directly at the Arrancar. Even though there was a considerable distance between them, Himitsu had hoped to minimize the recoil of the technique by putting his complete body behind it which would then increase accuracy. He aimed for the Espada's eye.

Himitsu took a deep breath to stabilize himself and the blade before firing the technique. The thin lightning shot out of the razor sharp tip like an arrow and sped towards the Arrancar with the speed of lightning. It was just as fast as the Bala, and whether the Arrancar chose to dodge it or take the attack, Himitsu followed. After activating Raitoningu Juden and charging his blade with electricity, with the utilization of Shunpo, he was right in front of his enemy in a split second, and his blade was already swinging. His target was the Esapada's ear. Even if he missed, as long as it was a narrow miss, the lightning would jump out and be conducted into the water and still have a destructive effect. His large kite shield at the hilt of his Zanpakuto was positioned directly between himself and the Arrancar to protect against the inevitable retaliation. He wasn't kidding when he said he was ready to finish this. Himitsu had put his all into this attack and if it didn't hit, he had no chance what-so-ever of winning, never mind surviving.

Reiatsu Remaining: 860/1560 (-100 for Inazuma, -50 for Shunpo, -100 for Raitoningu Juden)

Shikai Post: 2/10

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Good! You're learning quickly how to make attacks and even how to explain the damage you might deliver if they hit. That's vital. Lesson four! Against an overwhelming speed advantage, Shunpo probably will not save you. Also lesson five. When faced with an overwhelming attack which has a nearly guaranteed hit, the best course of action is not to attempt to avoid damage, but to find a way to mitigate what you do take as best you can.

IC:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

This one, like many others, was willing to attempt to converse in an almost chirping way, like a naive bird. His comment was borderline insulting, and this irritated Kuroi, as he had been interrupted in the midst of speaking. At this point, the battle was nothing but a mockery, and conversation was all that could be gained out of it for the both of them. That being said, this one reminded the Segunda Espada of Taien Hadohou, Kido Corps Vice Captain, who had a rather similar style for mannerism. Regardless, Kuroi figured that if words would not do it and beat down his foe here, then it meant that it was simply because the Segunda Espada had yet to give a true display of his power. Kuroi's eyes closed momentarily, in a long blink, simply to get the rainwater out of his eyes, and also because of a thoughtful acknowledgment of his opponent's words. "I see..." Kuroi said, agreeing with Himitsu in that there had been far too much talk. It was time for action, after all, and the time for words was now gone. "Perhaps you are correct. Initiating conversation implies that I hold absolute superiority over you. While this is true without a doubt, perhaps you do not yet perceive it as such, given your lack of wounds. I suppose that before we continue to converse, I must first break you, and destroy all hope which you possess."

Kuroi's eyes narrowed. "Very well..." he said, raising up his left hand as if to attack. As if in instinctive response, Himitsu's blade shot up, pointing its tip at Kuroi. The Segunda Espada knew from experience that there were many Zanpakuto which could fire projectile techniques simply by doing that, and he had even encountered some, such as Arashi Manako's or Shinsei Tan'O's. It was child's play to deduce this, especially given the electric nature of his opponent's blade. The sparks of electricity were a dead giveaway of the possibility of his foe being able to shoot lightning. A simple side step took Kuroi out of the way of the lightning bolt, done at great speed and initiated before it had even fully charged or fired off. As it shot outward to where Kuroi had previously stood, it missed completely, whizzing past him and missing not narrowly, but by several feet. This dead miss was a result of the most movement Kuroi had performed throughout this entire fight. He had actually shifted positions to dodge the attack, and then allowed his foe to utilize a Shunpo to get near. This of course was a foolish mistake, as Kuroi could never be brought down by the likes of a diversion.

It was not unwise to attempt a diversion tactic, however one would need something far more brilliant and complex to bring down a warrior as experienced as Kuroi. The Segunda's eyes moved rapidly, analyzing and taking in the information at unimaginable speed. He was like a machine, mechanically performing fluent movements out of instinctive, skilled routine. His first maneuver came when Himitsu arrived in place with a Shunpo. Regardless of using Shunpo, this only allowed him to arrive quickly. Relying on Shunpo for a fast attack was foolish, given that it did not alter the speed of his slash. Kuroi was easily able to pick up on the fact that his opponent was attempting to aim for a weak spot, namely the ear, though a slash would not do it, as the weak spot was inside of the ears. A stab might have, but it was too late regardless. Previously, Kuroi's movements had been lax, almost lazy, and had barely exceeded half of his possible speed. Now, however, Kuroi used his full speed, which more than doubled that of his foe. A sweeping dodge to the side brought Kuroi to the Shinigami's left, away from the slashing attack aimed at the ear.

Kuroi was intelligent, making a wide dodge because of the knowledge that the water could conduct the electricity. It probably couldn't actually have penetrated his Hierro, but Kuroi knew that one was better safe than sorry. Kuroi's left hand had been ready this entire time, and as he took his side step to evade the slash by a monumental margin, a bloody crimson colored orb of reiatsu quickly materialized along his palm. It was revolving as it formed, and made a distinct, high-pitched shrieking sound. In total, because of Kuroi's absolute mastery of the technique, it took only a couple of seconds to charge, unlike most Arrancar, who took several seconds for it. This technique was not the same as a Bala. No, this was a far deadlier strike. It was something far more real. A real attack, rather than one poised to intimidate. The attack in question was Kuroi's Cero, among the mightiest Cero of all of the Espada. There was no Shinigami alive who could fail to recognize a Cero, and it would be obvious to Himitsu that he was in mortal peril the very instant that the red glow illuminated his face.

In an instant, the enormous red beam fired out from within three or four feet of Himitsu, from the side. It approached while the Shinigami was completing his slash, for Kuroi's speed was such that he could make a series of movements before his foe had even completed one. This attack would be unlike anything that Himitsu had ever encountered in his lifetime. It was a massive beam of hot reiatsu which would utterly incinerate both Himitsu's sword and shield completely, and overpower all of the lightning instantly. In size, it was capable perhaps of annihilating an entire apartment complex, if not something even larger. The power and size of the thing far dwarfed anything which Himitsu would have learned about the average Cero whilst in the academy. The average Cero was only the size of a car, or a large truck. Kuroi's was something else entirely. Dodging and escaping it, even with Shunpo, would be extremely difficult, if not close to impossible. Blocking it was absolutely impossible, and dodging and coming out unscathed was highly unlikely. A direct hit, regardless, would erase his opponent's shield, sword, and lightning in one blow. If Himitsu allowed himself to be bathed in the red beam, then depending on how directly he was hit, his body could be vaporized entirely, or he might come out of it covered in fourth degree burns and worse all over his body.

This was the kind of attack released by the Segunda Espada. However, the scary part was that it was a mere retaliation, and that Kuroi was still going easy even then. "Pathetic..." Kuroi insulted the Shinigami, not even bothering to try to hide his obvious disdain. After the events of the attack, regardless of result, Kuroi took several steps back, and prepared himself to begin to deal some more serious damage and "end things" as his opponent wanted to.

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 3750 Reiatsu

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

"Hypocrite," Himitsu muttered bitterly under his breath. Was the Arrancar really rambling on and on about how it was better to stop talking? Himitsu hadn't seen any worse acts of idiocy, and with the Espada believing himself to be so far above the Seated Officer, he had a very grave frown on his face that was accompanied by his silently angry eyes. He wanted nothing more than to tear that thing apart, limb from limb. If only it were that easy.

The best chance he could have possibly had for landing a blow was his last attack, but although he knew how superior the Arrancar's speed was, he didn't expect him to be that blindingly fast. There was no chance Himitsu could have kept up. It was a mistake to move so quickly to close quarters, though even keeping his distance would just prolong his inevitable defeat. But, strangely, all the fear the Shinigami had felt prior evaporated at some point in the battle into the air. He didn't know when, but only now did he realize that the only drive he felt was the hopeless resolve to win, and boy was it hopeless. He knew deep in his heart that he had less than 1 percent of a chance to win, and that was being generous. But, in his heart, he knew that to turn back would undermine his whole purpose for becoming a Shinigami. He made a promise to himself that ever hollow he would ever encounter would die by his hand, and he wasn't about to let this Arrancar be the first to defeat him without putting up the best fight he can.

Himitsu tried to recover as quickly as possible from the loss of balance he had momentarily felt when his Zanpakuto met no resistance. However, the casual sight of the Espada nonchalantly directing his palm towards the Shinigami and gathering reiatsu only meant one thing: Cero. This would be his first time witnessing the infamous Hollow technique. But, from what he had studied, it wouldn't be impossible to avoid. If he could just use Shunpo to evade it, he would also be allowed to retreat to a safe distance without being pursued so that he could try a different approach with some ranged techniques. However, Himitsu's eyes widened in disbelieving shock. If the Bala had been so unbelievable huge, this Cero would be far too massive to evade with a quick Shunpo. But Himitsu wasn't about to take on all of that damage directly. If he wanted to survive, he would have to move now.


By the time Himitsu had gathered his wits and activated Shunpo, the Cero had already been launched. It the giant ball of deadly reiatsu was hurtling at the Shinigami, and his Shunpo wouldn't be able to get him out of the monsterous ball's path. But it did allow him to get himself to the outer meter of the Cero, where he hoped that the destructive energy was less condensed. But as soon as his bare skin made contact with the immense spiritual energy, he knew he was going to die. And the worst part is that he probably would have if his low speed hadn't saved him. With his sword still lowered from the missed slash in his past failed attack, the large kite shield had protected his mid-section slightly. However, that accidental defense didn't last long. The Cero had completely vaporized his Zanpakuto before continuing to generously spread its destruction to the remaining small untouched area. It felt like it took an hour, but the Cero had finally ended. Himitsu found that he had lost control of much of his body and unintentionally dropped to a knee.

And that's when the pain kicked in. Never before could Himitsu have even dreamed of the physical pain he was being kindly treated to. His entire body, from the tips of his ears to the nails on his toe, felt like they had been pressed against the hottest flame for hours at a time. It was all he could do to keep himself up right and not fall to the ground. With no Zanpakuto to wield, his arms loosely flopped to his sides. Despite how much he tried, his body refused to move an inch. And as he struggled to fight himself, the Arrancar's words echoed endlessly in his head. "Pathetic…"

There was no doubt that the Espada would be preparing a finishing blow. He'd either use another ranged technique to finish Himitsu off or do it with his blade so that he could enjoy it up close. Either way, though, Himitsu felt defeated. He had nothing waiting for him back at Soul Society but the 10th Squad's mockery for his defeat and his empty room in the barracks. His life had been as empty as ever, and the only person he could have fought for, Ayumi, was gone...

It was that last thought that woke Himitsu up from his fantasy of a quick end to his miserable soul. Ayumi… he remembered. She's why he started this path in the first place, and if he didn't go all the way, her death might as well have no purpose what-so-ever. I became a Shinigami for a reason. I can't die just yet. As painful as it was, Himitsu managed to forcefully lift his right hand. He could finally see how red and burned it was from the Cero, but he immediately suppressed that distracting thought. The Shinigami's sight was growing blurrier and blurrier by the second, but he had to at least try one more time. With his violently trembling arm somewhat straight and his fingers pointing at the Arrancar, Himitsu mumbled the incantation, doing his best not to slur the words in his exhaustion and pain. "Arise god of thunder! Awake mother of storms! Unleash the lighting on the sinners! Hado #4: Byakurai!"

The outcome of his desperate attempt was unbelievably sad. If he hadn't forced the incantation out of his mouth, maybe some static might have been produced. But even with the spoken incantation, the Byakurai developed was a small lightning nerf dart that, even if it did hit, wouldn't have done more than slightly surprise and numb the opponent. And against that Hierro, it was pointless. But Himitsu's arm remained raised, even though it's uncontrollable shaking was only getting worse. But he was desperately trying his hardest to hold onto his consciousness and continue to attack.

Reiatsu Remaining: 835/1560 (-25 for Byakurai)

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Lesson six! Victory and defeat posts are your greatest opportunities for your most thrilling posts.

IC:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

With his incredible speed, Kuroi materialized before Himitsu, left hand outstretched. With his powerful fingers, Kuroi clenched his palm over the charging Kido, so fast, so meticulous, that not a thousand storms could have stopped the Segunda Espada then. Right there, in that moment, it was as it had always been. It was as the war had been going for well over a decade. The Arrancar had prevailed, and the Shinigami had been utterly defeated. There was never any doubt of the outcome. It had never been fated otherwise, and it had been inevitable. It had never had even the most remote possibility to be anything different. Kuroi's palm around the Byakurai, the measly Kido simply dissipated against his Hierro, destroying itself before it could even begin to fully charge. Kuroi simply destroyed it, not even wasting his time on it. An enemy whose body could barely even move because of the severity of being blackened and charred by burns, and who lacked even a sword, was never going to be able to resist the onslaught which would soon follow. Of course, this was only what was expected of the battle. After all, Kuroi surmised, how could a measly officer of this caliber ever stand up to an Espada?

It was in that moment that an enormous white gate burst open in the sky, a Senkaimon, and from it emerged about six silhouettes, landing in the desert in their black robes, sleeves flowing, and swords drawn. Backup had arrived from the Seireitei. The disturbance caused by the release of a Cero had attracted multiple Shinigami, all at seated level, for Kuroi to deal with. The Segunda Espada surmised that this was only going to draw more attention, as well. If he took them down, for surely they were being monitored, then others, who were far more powerful, would arrive. The threat that Kuroi posed would eventually call someone of a higher caliber. While Kuroi had no problem dealing with the likes of them, or their Vice Captains, or even their Captains, it was indeed very time consuming, and the Segunda Espada had no real desire to continue to fight at that point. He had already been horrifically disappointed by ten Shinigami, one of which he had still yet to finish off. Therefore, it was of the utmost importance that the Segunda Espada dispatched these reinforcements in a quick and timely manner.

Some dialogue passed in between the Shinigami which Kuroi did not hear, given their proximity from him. He could detect fear in them, and noted that like others who had encountered him, there was nervousness, and that they could sense his tremendous reiatsu strength. Kuroi suspected that they were discussing their shock, and wondering aloud who he was, if he was an Arrancar, and if so, what rank. They all approached him and surrounded him using Shunpo. In an instant, one of the Shinigami attacked, rushing forwards boldly toward the Segunda Espada. Kuroi was quick to step to the side and backhand his opponent with a left handed smack, shattering his foe's nose and knocking the Shinigami back. "Your choice of attack..." Kuroi noted. The Shinigami, who had expected neither Kuroi's speed, nor reflexes, was surprised by the overwhelming ferocity of both, and his sword fell from his grasp as he fell backwards. "Quite the mistake."

Kuroi's left hand stretched outward, catching the sword, and he spun it around in his left hand with a quick flourish, adjusting to its weight almost immediately because of his absolute mastery of swordsmanship. Kuroi pursued this Shinigami that he had backhanded, rather than retaliating, and his blade carved through the fool's still outstretched arm, severing it in a spray of blood, before dancing through the air with Kuroi's blindingly fast movements. As he got behind the first attacker, the Shinigami's throat split open, and blood gushed out as he fell to the ground. All five remaining Shinigami were intelligent enough to attack Kuroi simultaneously after that, however it did them no good. "Indeed, you will require every tactic which you can think of." Kuroi mocked his opponents, who grunted as he side stepped or guarded against their attacks. "Combinations, surprise attacks, the underhanded...any strategy which you can even begin to conceive. This is if you are to have even the most basic chances of landing a scratch on me." They all seemed to succumb to the taunt and give into their rage, but it mattered not.

Their attacks were useless. Kuroi flicked the stolen Shinigami blade in his left hand around, and two more of them fell to the ground, heads off. He had utterly decapitated them, leaving only three left. From there, it was a quick and easy finish, with the sword stabbing into the heart of one, and then Kuroi leaving the sword and corpse behind, going bare handed once again. The Segunda jammed his hand like a spear into the throat of one of the Shinigami, and tore the throat clean out. From there, the Segunda Espada had only one opponent left. During their flourish of movement, they had landed once again near Himitsu, giving him an optimal view of Kuroi with his cold, calculating eyes, and of the opponent facing the Arrancar. It was a girl with scarlet hair down to the small of her back, and hazel eyes, fair, lush skin. She was young, barely Himitsu's age, and quite a beauty at that. She bore a striking semblance to another that he had known. It was this which might catch his attention, as Kuroi's eyes narrowed in and focused on the girl, swinging forward with her Zanpakuto. Kuroi stopped movement completely, allowing the blade to strike.

"Pathetic..." Kuroi said. The girl's Zanpakuto shattered against Kuroi's body, and he shoved his hand forwards, spearing straight into her chest. "True power..." Kuroi said. "Looks more like this." Kuroi's hand emerged out from the other end, straight out of her back, gripping her heart in his hand. The young girl had attempted to turn to flee at that moment, but had been too slow, and thus her face faced Himitsu's in her moment of death, and her eyes met his as they went empty and the light left them. As she died, facing Himitsu, her heart was torn out, and the blood splattered across the still living fourth seat's face. Kuroi yanked his hand out of the girl, taking the heart with him, and tossed it aside. With a hole in her chest, the deceased girl fell to the ground, empty eyes still locked on Himitsu's, her vacant expression of death clearly visible to the Shinigami. It was here, in this lonely desert of rain, sand, and blood, that Kuroi prevailed. On that day, sixteen Shinigami were defeated by the Segunda Espada. Kuroi stepped over to Himitsu once again, eyes looking down at his broken foe, one whom he would show Despair.

Kuroi's foot slammed onto Himitsu's back, burned and charred as it was, and he pressed down, applying pressure to the spine. His goal was not to break the spine, but to cause considerable pain to the beaten Shinigami. It was in any Hollow's nature to show no mercy to a Shinigami, and Kuroi was no different at all. The rain continued pouring down as well, pelting the burnt, blackened body of the broken fourth seat officer. There was nothing left for Himitsu but shame and humiliation. Complete and utter defeat and pain. Still holding onto Himitsu's extended arm, Kuroi yanked it as hard as he could, hard enough to yank it clean out of its socket and dislocate the shoulder completely. Kuroi very much doubted that Himitsu's skin would be able to process pain for much longer. The nerves on the surface responsible for that must certainly have been fried by the Cero. However, the audible popping sound which came with a dislocated shoulder was sure to provide exactly the agony that Kuroi had intended to inflict upon his foe to begin with.

"We see once again..." Kuroi informed Himitsu, staring straight into the eyes of his utterly defeated opponent. "You possess nothing which I cannot take away from you." This was Kuroi's final deliverance of speech to the Shinigami. For all he had said in battle, he had surprisingly little to say when the time came for victory. There was truly nothing he could not take from Himitsu. Pride, honor, hope, love, or even the Shinigami's home. Kuroi could take all of them away. This was what it meant to embody Despair. It was to provide things, such as hope, and take them away. Indeed, there was nothing that any Shinigami could do against the might of the Segunda Espada. It was here, that, at last, Kuroi brought upon Himitsu that which was fated to the Shinigami for having dared to go up against an Arrancar. Despair. The most sweet, and yet the most bitter. The thing which was Kuroi's ultimate goal, which he strived to bring to all of those who were to dare to call themselves his opponents in this stupid, silly little world where combat could take place between the Segunda Espada and a Shinigami Fourth Seat. It was Despair that Kuroi brought.

And with that, the Segunda turned to leave, opening up an enormous black tear in the air itself, a gaping maw of utter darkness and void, the Garganta of the Arrancar. Stepping inside of it, Kuroi glanced back at his beaten foe. "Live." Kuroi commanded. "I won't kill you, for you are far too weak to even deserve the time wasted on a finishing blow. Live on in misery and in Despair, knowing your weakness. And remember always this day...where you truly showed yourself to be...pathetic." With that, the Garganta closed, and the Arrancar was gone.

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 3750 Reiatsu

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Himitsu was just so tired that he was ready to succumb to the voice in his head persuading him to embrace sleep. His quaking hand finally dropped and the Shinigami's world spun as the fleeting balance he had finally escaped him. The searing pain of his singed body had almost completely distracted him from the impact as his left shoulder impacted the ground.

But he still held on. It would have been so easy to just shut his eyes and rest for a while, like he would rather be doing in some vast green valley between breath-taking mountains. Anywhere that's untouched by people and therefore free of mankind's stains on nature. He would have even napped for a few hours on a bed of grass after enjoying the scenery and staring at the unusually pure blue sky. Maybe if he shut his eyes, he could see the scene more clearly, but then there'd be no point. He wanted to live to see it, and he wanted others to live to see it. If only his body would move.

Even through Himitsu's unfocussed vision, he could see new figures arriving. From his side-ways point of view as he lies on the ground, he could make out the Segunda Espada's figure as well as several others in a semi-circle around him. He identified them as Shinigami with their black uniforms, and he almost wanted to feel relieved that he had support. But, if he could have said one word, it would have been "run." They were all going to die, but if they tuned back now, maybe a few of them would have survived. This way, they never had a chance.

Adrenaline pumped through his blood as he fought harder than ever to at least open his mouth. But there were flames of pain raging within him as he tried to move that would leap with every effort. His body was begging him to stop trying and give in. And he wanted to so much until either he died or his spirit did ((pun intended)). But his body wouldn't cooperate, so he was forced to watch as, one by one, the Shinigami made their moves against the Arrancar and fell before him. He could vaguely here the Espada speak but the words were muffled through the ringing in his ears.

Each fallen Shinigami amplified Himitsu's will to fight. The more blood spilled, the harder his blood boiled in anger, and the more his motivation and fight was fed. But he still couldn't seem to overcome his body's pain and move an inch. And as he fought his internal battle, the Shingami's numbers thinned till one was left. She was a younger Shinigami that could'nt have been older than twenty-five. But her unmistakeable long crimson hair caught Himitsu's dull, fatigued eyes and completely stopped his heart for a brief moment. She was a perfect copy of Ayumi except for a few minor details, but with his blurry vision, he neglected to see those details. She appeared to be a perfect copy of his long time deceased companion, the only true friend he had ever come to know and remember.

Never before had Himitsu wanted to scream so loudly and rush her away to safety, but although the words he wanted were out of reach, they had never been so loud. Yet, even if he had warned her, he knew she wouldn't have run. She had Ayumi's courage. The Shinigami had watched her companions fall all around her yet still rushed pointlessly at the enemy. She should have run the other direction. If she had, the Arrancar's hand wouldn't have gone straight through her. It felt more like Himitsu's heart had been ripped out as well as hers, but her pain was over. In a few moments, she'd be done. But she had to try to save herself.

Her will to live was stronger than ever in her eyes as she turned in a desperate attempt to run away. But in doing so, she just had to face toward Himitsu's helpless figure. She just had to revive and multiply the guilt he'd felt since before becoming a Shinigami with her frightened yet accusing eyes. They pointed fingers at him, blaming Himitsu for her death. But not just this death. He had also failed to save her in New York, and she had been begging him then as well. He was at fault. Within a second, the struggle in her arms vanished and the light in her eyes dimmed to darkness.

It would have been understandable for Himitsu to break down into tears or erupt in uncontrollable anger, but he did none of these. He had lost all emotion and connection to the world around him. He stopped struggling to retain control of his body and he stopped caring about his "noble protective drive" that he had used as an illusion to keep him working hard and training to grow stronger. But he was never going to make up for this gap between himself and the Espada. He was impatiently waiting for the eventual killing blow that unkindly kept him waiting. He needed an end to this.

A jolt of agony shot up his already cooked back as the Arrancar pressed the bottom of his foot against it and slowly began to press down. It was although he was "playing with his food." He seemed to be gradually applying more pressure and watching to see how much Himitsu could take before bellowing in pain. And with the sudden jerk of his shoulder and the sharp burning sensation that accompanied it, he truly would have if he could find any air in his lungs to do so. Himitsu had been done for a long time and was waiting for the Arrancar to finally take everything away. But with his decree, "Live" Himitsu knew there was no escape. He would be forced to endure all his misery, aware that a retrieval group would soon be dispatched to rescue all of his fallen comrades only to find that he is the only survivor.

Himitsu was ready to give into his body's desperate cries and his eyes began to fall shut so that his exhaustion could finally take over. But just before his eyelids closed, he could see a single hooded teenage girl standing before him with snow white hair that was long enough to flood out of the front of her hood. Her deep blue eyes stared directly into his with a contagious calm that almost relaxed him slightly before he was consumed by unconsciousness. As his vision faded into darkness, she surprised him by breaking her usual silence with her soft, soothing voice. "We will get stronger. We will not fail again. You fought well, but now you must rest. Sleep…" And with that, he fell into a bed of blackness.

Remaining Reiatsu: 835/1560

OOC: Thanks for everything. It's been really fun and this is definitely a great first thread.

[Deleted]

50 paragraphs for Himitsu: 500 TP.

33 paragraphs for Kuroi: 330 TP plus 100 for winning is 430 TP.

Himitsu actually gets more TP, despite losing, just because he wrote a bunch. Nice job in your first fight!