Vice Captaincy Battle: Fight for the Cursed Squad [R, DP]

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Thread Title: Vice Captaincy Battle: Fight for the Cursed Squad [R, DP]
Participants: Takehiko Kuchiki, Kubi Tsure
World: Soul Society
Death Setting: Permanent Injuries Enabled
Rating: R
Location: This battle will take place in the courtyard of Squad 3, with the rest of the squad looking on. It has been awhile since this Squad, or any squad, saw a battle for the Vice Captaincy, so this will be exciting for them.
Special Conditions: Winner gets to be the Vice Captain of Squad 3, the loser will be placed in a Seat by the Captain, or will be allowed the shame of trying their mettle in a different squad.
Circumstances: The Kuchiki, Takehiko, is fighting the man owned by the Kawada, Kubi Tsure. They both had their eye on the Squad 3 Vice Captaincy, so naturally they had to fight for it. The dominant one will take the place of the fukutaicho, but this Squad is known for being Cursed... so is it really worth the fight?

[Amagai Kuchiki]

It was a gloomy day, which put Takehiko in a crap mood to begin with. The air was moist, although it wasn't quite raining yet, and there was no thunder to be heard. A great pity that was. With a sigh, he locked his eyes on his opponent. The man standing across from him wasn't totally unfamiliar, but Takehiko had to admit that he didn't have any real information about his opponent. He was Kawada by loyalty, if not by blood, and thus killing him wasn't really an option due to the whole political aspects. Not to mention Takehiko didn't particularly want to; the man deserved to be here just as much as Takehiko himself did.

The crowd was silent, but there was a buzz in the air that thrilled Takehiko. Normally, he despised fighting in front of an audience: the more people that saw his Zanpakutou in action, the less useful it was. But on the other hand, Sozen had put his faith in Takehiko to honor the family, and now Takehiko had his chance. The voice that started the chant was in the back corner, and not one that was particularly familiar to Takehiko. Maybe one of his squadmates? "Go Tak! Go Tak!" A few others took up the chant as well, although it certainly remained a minority. Takehiko couldn't help but smile. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to shake that stupid nickname. Even now, in a do or die moment, it followed him. "Alright then," he muttered, "Showtime."

He stepped up boldly, and dropped low into an Iai stance, ready to receive any attack, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The first blow of this battle would be critical, and his ability to use Metronome Strike to land the first series of attacks could make or break his chance at Vice Captaincy. He needed this seat, needed the chance to serve his Lord. He met eyes with Kubi, and nodded respectfully. "Greetings. My name is Takehiko Kuchiki, and I will be your opponent today." He felt a single raindrop land on his hair, and roll down his pony tail. Figures they'd be fighting in the rain. If the moment hadn't been a solemn one, an important one, he'd have shaken his head. It was just too damn cliche.

He remembered other fights for his life, for his future, for his welfare. Fights to prove that he wasn't a failure, that he was powerful despite his various flaws. Somehow, none of those fights seemed to have the importance that this one held. Well, except for the fights with Monarch. No matter how dangerous this psuedo-Kawada was, Takehiko doubted that he would face a foe as great as Monarch for several more years. The man had broken him in numerous places, and reforged them stronger than before. Before, he'd been a one trick poney, a train that could only go on one track, even if it was going at absurd speeds. But now, now he was a force to be reckoned with, and he was about to show the entire Squad. Some of them already knew, or suspected at least. Others believed in crazy rumors that Takehiko doubted that he'd ever be able to stand up to, even if he became captain. But the blind faith gave him strength, and as he stared down Kubi Tsure, he did so with utter conviction.

He was going to win this, and win it brutally.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills Spoiler}
[Sword Style: Iaijutsu] 3

[Weapon: Chain Weapons] 3

[Pain Tolerance] 3

[Strength of Will] 3

[Battle Analysis] 3

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats Spoiler}
Strength 400 (200x2)
Speed 600 (300x2)
Reitsu Strength 267 (400x.66)
Spiritual Pressure 200 (300x.66)
Instinct 150
Senses 150
Energy Sensory 100
Healing Expertise 0

SPOILER: Click to show

[Deleted]

Today. Today was very important to the elder Reaper. Today w as one of the milestones in a souls life, the kind of day that can make or break a man,a history,a career. Hell, its says like today that go down history books. And not just as an epic; as a love story. Today is the kind of day where true loves are made, friendships forged, and enemies gained. Oh, yes, today is a very important day indeed.

Almost worth waking up at six in the fucking morning.

Don't get him wrong, he loved the morning as next as the next person, sunrises are beautiful and all that, and if you like waking before it happens on a damn Saturday, more power to you. Kubi was not one of those people. Most of the time, sure, he'd be bright eyed, bushy tailed, and training this early in the morning. But the fucking weekend man ...

Kubi have a groan as he saw the assembled crowd. He didn't 'hate' fighting in front of crowds, per se. He just hated restraining himself, more than most things in three worlds, actually. 'Key fucking word bein' most righ' fuckin' there.' His thoughts has strayed to that of His Most Terrible Enemy, Kuroi Naito. Most importantly, the bank of him as he walked away from the prone form of Masaki, the rain waking away-

He stopped himself with a surprised shock as he felt a curious wetness prick his eyes. He rubbed his temples in irritation. 'Damn fine sight ya here, bawlin' like a l'il bitch who jus' got her firs' period. Fuckin' pull yaself t'gether, ya damn pansy." he shook his head. From seemingly nowhere, he procured matte black sunglasses, housing the drops of his humanity.

He had remained hidden from sight until now, a row of buildings about a hundred yards from the actual training field obscuring his form. But now he stepped from behind them, his large frame easily visible even from such a distance. He was a big man - about seven a half feet - but the more impressive was his bulk. Thick muscles, Like iron cords, moved naturally underneath the open edges of his button tee. His was the physique of a man who fought every day to stay alive, and who refuses the feel of a body against their own.

Rumors had been told about the strength of the third seat, and about his size. But a hush fell over the crowd as he quickly approached, his size being plainly obvious to everyone. He towered over even some of the smaller saplings. A grin, wide enough to almost make one think it's the remainder of some terrible accident, stretched across his chiseled features.

Kubi came to a stop a few feet from the Kuchiki. Kubi wasn't very impressed. Compared to sound of the people he's fought, this Kuchiki was ... well, needless to say, Kubi wasn't worried . Maybe it was the arrogance, or maybe the truth, but Kubi knew he wasn't going to have fun unless this guy went all out from the start. "Shit. This's all I get? Gah ... wonder who I killed in a past t' desere this kinda treatment ..."

Kubi leered at him then, obviously trying to provoke the shinigami. He gave an over dramatic stretch then. "Ah, well. May as well get com'ferble, nah? This shouln't las' long." And then his belt, with its wealth of weaponry, hit the ground with a metallic thud. Must notably, his Zanpakutou,a light blue scabbard with a unique bee like guard, fell to the dirt. Kubi kicked it to the ground with out a second glance.

And that would beg the question; what kind of person would toss their own soul around like that? Not only is it a literal part part of themselves, but it is it's own separate being. Only a monster or a thug would treat another being that way. Could the Kuchiki in good conscious allow a person like him to again this rank?

OOC:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Strength - 400 (640) Points

Speed - 300 (480) Points

Spiritual Pressure - 200 (150) Points

Reiatsu Strength - 200 Points

Light Aura - 50 Points

Dark Aura - 50 Points

Instinct - 150 Points

Senses - 100 Points

Energy sensory - 50 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

[Street Fighting] {Master}

[Battle Analysis] {Master}

[Mastery of Body] {Master}

[Sex] {Mastery}

[Lack of Fear] {Mastery}

[Pain Tolerance] {Mastery}

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

OOC: This is just a cinematic post to showcase the importance of the event. Enjoy the fight!

IC: Everybody present there, the Squad members, the combatants, everyone, big or small, man or woman, felt a huge, almost overwhelming presence. It was incredibly strong, yet it was surprisingly relaxed. There was no malice to be felt, nor any negative emotion. Still, it was there for everybody to feel, and most of them recognized the presence. It belonged to the man who was in charge of this happening, Captain of Squad 3, Alexander Kuma-Hebi. Of course, he had to be present to witness a fight that would have such impact on his Squad. It was highly unusual, though, to have two people fight over a rank. While it happened occasionally when Captaincy was contested, it was still believed to be barbaric custom belonging in Hueco Munco rather than in Soul Society. Still, it was approved by Alexander because he deemed it to be the best way to show who was a better fighter and who was more powerful Shinigami. And mainly Alexander approved this fight because it spared him from having to spend time thinking about whom to promote and allowed him to write out his latest work, "Manifest of Civilized Spiritual Race", which was, well, as it's name was suggesting, a manifest regarding Shinigami race and it's rightful place on top of the hierarchy among races, until all alien races other than Shinigami and Humans would be eradicated and wiped out. Alexander just finished it, and was glad that he managed to do so before the fight had started.

He was obliged to watch. He also wanted to entertain himself a bit, and this was a good way as any, with potential for blood and gore quite high. Alexander liked to see blood and gore from time to time, and he was certainly hoping he would be given to see some now. Because of that, and some boring formalities that needed to be observed after combat was done, he had been present. Alexander wasn't with the crowd though, oh no. He took much more comfortable and spacious vantage point. Alexander sitated himself on a roof, using his trench coat which served as Haori as a blanket to lay on. He was laying on his left side, with his left arm bent in elbow, elbow pressed against the surface below him, and his beard leaning on his left hand, thus being supported in ideal position. Next to him were his Zanpakuto, and big bag popcorn. Alexander was casually eating them, and looking at the combatants and crowd gathered. He had a good spot, and could see everything just perfect. But he was annoyed. Not by combatants, but by weather. There was a big rain cloud above the location they were present, and a few raindrops already fell down. It was annoying, to have the rain during such event.

Alexander had a solution, though. Quickly, with his full strength and speed, but while sill laying down, he kicked upwards with his right leg. Simultaneously, he used his right hand to eat more popcorns. These actions were extremely important, though it wasn't obvious why at first glance. First, and more important, was eating popcorn. Alexander was a bit hungry, and also couldn't wait until the fight started. Popcorn were there to both keep his stomach full and to keep his focus on the combat. Second, and less important, was a kick. While it appeared that Alexander just kicked the air, it was in fact what he did. He kicked the air. That kick produced a strong air blast that went upwards, straight at the cloud at high speed. On impact, it literally destroyed the cloud, dispersing it, thus eliminating the risk of rain. It also allowed the Sun to shine down onto the courtyard where everybody was. Alexander smiled as he saw it, but then he suddenly lost the smile, and with a hurry checked his pockets. Taking out what he was searching for, he sighed. "Good, I didn't forget it after all. He looked at the object he held for a moment, before returning it to his pocket. The object was Vice Captain's badge.

[Amagai Kuchiki]

If it hadn't been such a tense and important moment, he would have thanked his captain for removing the possibility of rain and clearing up the sky. The sun was beautiful, and Takehiko welcomed it's warm rays dancing on his skin. After this fight was done, he was going to to on a nice long walk and just enjoy the perfect weather. But first things first. He narrowed his eyes at his opponent, and shifted his guard slightly. Heartbeat.

He couldn't afford to underestimate this opponent, Kubi had enough brute strength to explode his head just by squeezing it. Takehiko definitely saw his foe as a mighty one, but his skill was less certain. And his speed was almost definitely slower than Takehiko, not that that was saying much. By this point, Takehiko knew that he was one of the fastest non-captain shinigamis out there, excluding some of the powerhouse Lieutenants. This hulk of a man couldn't keep up with him, and he needed to abuse that while he could.

He blurred into motion at slightly less than full speed, five sixths of max to be precise. He didn't want to wear himself out too quickly, he had a feeling that he'd be doing a huge amount of high speed movement this fight. Initially, he charged head on at his opponent, but four yards away, he pushed off from the ground to the right, in an attempt to fake Kubi out. Then, he pushed off again at full speed, and sent an Iaijutsu strike upwards towards Kubi's chin. The big man would likely block, if he didn't he was going to lose his face. Takehiko secretly hoped he did block, Kubi's death would likely have lasting political repercussions that Takehiko didn't want to deal with. Plus, the attack being blocked would fit right into Takehiko's battle strategy for this fight.

By this point, Takehiko understood battle on a deeper level than many, or most. It was somewhat like chess theory: there are a certain amount of good opening moves, and then a ton of bad ones; the middle section of the battle was reactions and traps, and trying to goad your opponent into a specific board state; the final few moves all looked the same, and once they were in a position to begin there was no hope stopping them. And although to many, the middle phase in battle seems to be the easiest, Takehiko realized long ago that fighting in the heat of battle is easy, but fighting intelligently is nigh impossible. At least, without training. So Takehiko mastered the transition between opening and middle, and learned how to branch one move into another thirty that would force his opponent into a horrible situation. If Kubi didn't block this blow, he was dead. If he did block it, depending on how he blocked it and how he reacted after, he was finished. He just didn't know it yet.

In the fraction of a second that it took Takehiko's blade to travel upward, he sent a short jab into Kubi's stomach slightly faster than his Iai slash. With a little luck, the punch would disrupt the big man's concentration, and make blocking Takehiko's attack more difficult. Worse case scenario, the man would shrug it off. He wouldn't be able to counter it because he'd be too busy blocking Takehiko's attack, if he was able to at all. Although Kubi definitely wasn't dragging his feet, Takehiko was uncertain if the big man would be able to keep up with the high speed combat that Takehiko was capable of. And if he wasn't, Takehiko was just going to speed blitz him in no time.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

Reiatsu: 2000/2000

[Deleted]

Kubi was disappointed. His opponent was apparently like every other spoiled little noble out there. Rude, arrogant, brash. Can't drink to save his life . That last part is skepticism, but he assumed it's true. He was hoping for something a little more substantial than two guys throwing punches at each other; looks like he was going to be disappointed again. For some reason, everybody assumed Kubi was kind of slow tank. He wasn't.

Of course, he wasn't as far as Takehiko here; nearly, but not quite up to his current speed. Still, there's not much to countering something simple like that. Kubi could read him like a book; not only were his combined senses and speed mute than enough to watch him as he ran forward, but his skill to analyze combat situations was highly advanced. Kubi saw several ways to counter, the simplest being, of course, to just take a step back.

He decided on a different route. At the speed he was moving, Kubi was barely slower than him, and he has far less space to move through anyhow. His left hand, the closest to the sword, suddenly shot up with unerring aim and closed around the much smaller hand of his fellow shinigami. His right, at nearly the same time, rose and closed around the fist of his opponent. He was effectively trapped, Kubi's massive strength preventing him from so much as twitching his arms.

Kubi's eyes leered down at him. "Well, fuck. Ain' you nobles s'posed t'have better manners n' us Rukon Rats? Or are all th' Kuchiki such rude l'il shits?" His lulls twisted info a sneer. "I mean, even that jerkass Hokori douche introduces 'imself first. It was obvious Kubi didn't think much of his family.

Kubi's hands would feel weird against his, almost as if he were wearing chain gloves. He wouldn't get much of a chance to contemplate it, as Kubi then threw him. Bodily picked him up by his hands and threw him through the air. Not hard enough to hurt him, per se, just enough to hurt, maybe leave him a little stunned. Kubi brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Now, stand the fuck up and do it the right way. Then we can start." For once, he seemed serious. He absolutely hated people who couldn't even be bothered to introduce themselves. "I'm Kubi Tsuru, so you know."

[Amagai Kuchiki]

As Kubi's hands locked around Takehiko's hands and wrists, the Kuchiki knew he'd made a grave error. He'd underestimated his enemy significantly, and was going to pay for it. He braced himself, anticipating that the large man was going to break at least one of his bones, but the shattering pain never came. Instead, Kubi leaned over him, and awful smirk on his face. "Well, fuck. Ain' you nobles s'posed t'have better manners n' us Rukon Rats? Or are all th' Kuchiki such rude l'il shits?" The man's mouth continued moving, but Takehiko didn't process the words. And even as Kubi lifted him and threw him back, even as he landed hard enough to shatter some of the tiles, even as he skidded back a few yards, Takehiko didn't feel a thing.

Many things in life bother Takehiko. From Ambushes to Mercenaries, Rain to Bad Jokes, there exist plenty of things in the three worlds that sour Takehiko's mood, and can change good days to bad ones with relative ease. But on the other hand, very few things actually enrage him. Which is good for the most part. When most people grow angry, their anger consumes them and controls them, and they begin to fight reckless, willing to ignore everything in their path and destroy the object of their hatred. But Takehiko's anger is different, and he wields his anger like yet another weapon, tucked away deep in his soul, fueling his fighting style but not controlling it. Hollows run and innocents hide when Takehiko grows angry, and the very environment itself is at great risk, despite Takehiko's distaste for collateral damage. Luckily for Soul Society, Takehiko rarely grows angry.

Except Kubi just insulted the Kuchiki family with a smile on his face.

Takehiko rose easily from the ground, not bothering to brush off the dust and cracked ceramic shards that cluttered parts of his robe. With a flex of will and effort, Takehiko exerted his Spiritual Pressure upon surrounding area, creating the gravitational force of a truly serious Class One shinigami. Of course, Kubi wasn't weak enough to actually succumb to the pressure, otherwise Takehiko doubted he'd ever have been hit by him. Perhaps it would slow him down slightly, but that also seemed unlikely. No, the real point of the Spiritual Pressure was to scare off members of the Third Division, and convince them that this fight wasn't worth watching. The low level ones, at least, would likely run once they were no longer paralyzed by the raw energy that Takehiko excreted. The fewer audience members there were, the less badly he'd feel if he needed to unleash his Shikai.

Takehiko locked eyes with Kubi, and the smirk on the big man's face only served to fuel his rage further. "Kubi Tsure, huh? Good to know. I'll make sure to send some flowers to your hospital bed." It wasn't an empty threat or a boast, Takehiko was telling the truth. He really would send him flowers, he was considerate like that. With that, Takehiko slowly smiled, matching Kubi's with his own. ALthough Takehiko didn't give psycho smiles very often, there was no denying that he was good at it.

Typically when Takehiko moved at high speeds, he intentionally didn't silence his movement and suppressed the ability to make afterimages. This meant that when he needed to pull a fast one, pun intended, on a foe. As he smiled at Kubi, Takehiko Shunpo'd at full speed to behind the large man's right ear, right in his blind spot, leaving an afterimage behind, still smiling. Between the afterimage and being in Kubi's blindspot, he bought himself a second at least, or at least would delay Kubi's reaction speed. Takehiko cupped his hand, and swung it swiftly through the air, clapping Kubi's ear hard. More importantly, this movement sent a blast of coursing into Kubi's inner ear, slamming painfully against the man's eardrum. Despite his strength and durability, his inner ear was as fragile as anyone else's. If Kubi was lucky, he'd get off with a ringing sensation, nausea, and a horrible feeling of disorientation. The far more likely result was the loss of use of that ear, not to mention a great deal of pain, until he saw a really good doctor. And possibly effects lasting beyond that.

Not putting a single moment to waste, Takehiko Shunpo'd back in front of Kubi. Since the man would likely flinch towards that ear, Takehiko had an opening to land some blows. He threw two Iai strikes at Kubi's chest, overlapping into a great X across the man's chest. He pushed forward, keeping up the pressure. No matter how strong Kubi was, Takehiko was a master of his art, and wasn't going to allow him to do something as easy as grabbing his hands again. This time, he was going to be fast, and not leave the big man room for it. "I already gave you my name, but you clearly didn't listen the first time. At least now you have an excuse. My name is Takehiko Kuchiki, and I invite you to remember the Parable of the Nine Flags." Takehiko's eyes flashed dangerously, the smile now gone from his face. "Because I am going to destroy you so utterly that you won't be capable of insulting the Kuchiki ever again. And that is not a threat, that is a promise."


Reiatsu: 1900/2000

[Deleted]

"Flowers, huh?" Kubi couldn't help but be amused ... and irritated. He realized he looked like a typical squad 11 brute, but Kubi was a smart guy. Maybe not in the same way as those genius fuckers in squad 12, but still. Kubi couldn't help but feel insulted that he thought that Kubi was going to be so easily defeated. His smirk shrunk for the first time, his face slipping into an irritated look. Before he could voice his opinion, however, Takehiko disappeared.

Though, it wasn't exactly staining the mind to know where he was going. In fact, Kubi felt slightly disappointed. 'And here I thought we were alike ...' But attacks from behind aren't even close to Kubi's style. He is of the "Unrelenting Offense" type. Takehiko ... well, Kubi's distaste was growing by the second.

And it's not even as if Takehiko was pushing him. In keeping with his opinion of him, Kubi figured he'd go for a cheap shot. Maybe the back of the neck or the ear, someplace that would disorient the opponent and allow for a follow up. And he was fast, Kubi had to give him fast. Faster than him, at least, at least by enough to make a difference. It would appear that Takehiko had all the advantages.

Except, for one. It takes far less time and effort to move a head forward than it did to swing an arm up and over. And that's exactly what Kubi did. He moved his head forward about an inch. This would cause Takehiko to either, A, miss, or B, jam the tips of his fingers into the bony crest of Kubi's skull, most likely resulting in broken fingers.

Regardless of the outcome, it would completely disrupt his next action giving Kubi time to do a simple flash step forward. When he came out of it, he was turned around and ten feet away. He had adopted a completely serious expression. He fingers suddenly clenched, and his hands shimmered, chain gloves suddenly appearing on his massive hands. Wickedly sharp spikes adorned each knuckle. This was Metis, and meant that Kubi was getting serious.

"You are a coward." The words were clear, precise, as if spoken by a man who had received a proper education. His eyes, normally viewing the world through humor were more cold and emotionless, the eyes of a man who wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill anybody he faces. "A coward who hides behind cheap tactics and his family name. You want to talk about sending flowers? Fine. I'll send flowers to your grave."

His own reishi poured out of him. It wouldn't have a effect on him, of course, but Takehiko would feel the cold, hard truth in his aura: he was more than capable of committing murder abs, at the time being, he intended to. His eyes flashed as he slowly began to walk forward, his hands clenched at his side. "So if you wish to avoid death, if you want to stop yourself from rotting in the ground, I would take me seriously. You forget the first rule of fighting, Kuchiki." He spat his family name like it was a curse word. "Never underestimate your opponent."

Ooc: Remaining Reaitsu: 1450/1500

[Amagai Kuchiki]

"Have you ever fought a walking corpse, Takehiko?" His lord had once asked him. "Not the undead, but a shinigami or other creature who doesn't realize that they're dead yet." During the rare occasions when Takehiko met with Sozen, the majority of the time ended up being Sozen talking and Takehiko listening. Takehiko proved to be a very good audience, hanging on every word that Sozen said as if it was a gospel truth. "I've fought many foes who don't realize truly how injured they are until they reach for their sword and realize that their hand is missing. Takehiko, when you inevitably do fight one of these opponents, don't give them a second to recover. If they are blind enough not to notice their own injuries, they are easy targets for you to warm up against." Takehiko had nodded, and tucked it into his back memory with all the other pieces of wisdom that Sozen had dispensed. He personally wasn't sure if it would ever come up, but it couldn't hurt to be aware.

As a single trickle of blood ran down Kubi's neck, originating at his right ear, it was clear to Takehiko that this battle was over. Kubi had lost an eardrum, although he clearly wasn't aware of it quite yet. To the casual observer, the past few seconds of combat were almost impossible to track, but Takehiko was sure some of the more powerful of their spectators, including Alexander, were certainly aware of what had just occurred. Since Kubi had begun to defend himself when he saw that Takehiko had vanished, he had guarded too late, and didn't notice the wound out of shock. Takehiko had left an afterimage when he went in for the attack, which Kubi hadn't seemed to notice. Unfortunately, Kubi had flash stepped away before Takehiko could press the advantage, but he was fine with that. His main target had been struck, and that's all that mattered.

"When you fight a foe stronger than you, you have to change your plan of attack. Although most of his body might be reinforced, there are places that no warrior can train and toughen." Monarch pointed at a diagram as Takehiko watched intently. "The eyes, the inner-ear, the groin, tendons, nerve clusters, major blood vessels, joints. All of those can topple giants, permanently wounding them and giving them reason to remember that simple strength cannot beat skill." Takehiko nodded, and the masked man dropped the pointer. "Good, if you understand it so well, bring me three Menos heads. And if their eyeballs are still in their skulls, I'll assume you weren't paying attention." Takehiko groaned, but got up anyway.

Kubi's flesh might have been hard enough to reflect mortal swords, but his eardrum was still as vulnerable as anyone elses. By destroying it with a shockwave, Takehiko had inflicted heavy damage on his foe, even if the man didn't know it yet. By taking his right ear, he'd deprived Kubi of half his hearing, allowing Takehiko to get the drop on him even more easily next time. But that was far from it: Kubi was also going to have a bitch of a time balancing, given that he'd lost his sense of equilibrium. And once the pain kicked in, Takehiko had a feeling that Kubi wasn't going to be able to miss it. People like Kubi with reinforced skin had a tendency to forget how much pain tended to hurt. The last one was admittedly a bit of a stretch, given the durability of shinigami of Kubi's caliber, but Takehiko could always hope.

Takehiko examined his foe carefully, considering what next. He was tempted to bust out his Shikai and end the fight sooner, but decided against it. Although his spiritual pressure had scared off a good chunk of the crowd, there were still a lot of witnesses and he really didn't want to use it prematurely. But as Kubi manifested Metis, and uttered the words "You are a coward," Takehiko was relieved. The large man wasn't planning on making this difficult.

"There is no foe less dangerous than a monologuer." Monarch taught him. "I've yet to meet in my long life a single person who spat entire paragraphs mid combat and remained a lethal threat. You need multiple minds to be able to process that type of information and be able to deliver it while engaging in a battle, which isn't common to say the least. If I fail to teach you anything during this time, I expect that you remember two things: never monologue, and punish any foe who does." "I think I'm capable of doing that." Takehiko had responded with a smile. "Good. I think you deserve a break. Two Menos heads."

As Kubi's mouth continued to move, Takehiko blurred into motion again, leaving another afterimage. Since Kubi hadn't recognized it the first time, and this time he was missing the use of one ear and was in mid sentence, Takehiko doubted that his foe would successfully anticipate the attack. Takehiko went towards the man's right side, the one with the ruined ear, and hid the sound of his footsteps. As he past the man's leg, he lashed out with his sword, carving up the delicate back of it. He went for the ACL primarily, but if Kubi didn't react in time, he would also take the man's achilles tendon. The second the man turned towards him, Takehiko was going to flash step back, staying out of reach of this Mountain of a man.

Takehiko debated chiding the man for talking, but figured that would be a little too hypocritical. Instead, he was just going to remain perfectly silent. That seemed like it would piss the man off more. Takehiko hope that this battle would stretch on longer, and he'd have more of an opportunity to rip Kubi to pieces. He took the man's ear for not listening the first time, and was going to take his leg for insulting the Kuchiki clan. But with every passing moment, Kubi seemed to insult the Kuchiki more, and Takehiko hadn't exacted perfect justice yet.

Reiatsu Remaining: 1850/2000

[Deleted]

Murder was in his thoughts.

It radiated off him in a wave. Any squad member foolish enough to remain behind scampered away out of fear. Animals fired, and even the very dirt parted at his feet due to the intensity of his hate. His eyes, the cold eyes of a killer, were locked on the face of the boy, thirsting for blood, wanting to rip, to shed, to kill-

Images passed before his mind. His friends murdered at the hands of the Rukon thugs, his own hands bloodied with revenge, the atrocities committed at the hands of the Game Master, fire and war and death disease famine pain loss anger rage ... Masaki. Her dying to her rage, the blood drenched streets slick under his boots, and the innocent life slipping away down the gutter ...

He stopped in his tracks, startled in a way. "What the fuck am I doing?" This isn't who he is. He didn't fight out of anger. Out of love or revenge or, hell, for the fun of it, and a thousand other good reasons to fight. But never anger. Fights aren't a way to let loose emotion; they're to build it, to learn what is at the most intimate core if a person. Fights are meant to be fun.

So like a captain who has been emotionally compromised, he stepped down. It was a flash step that took him away, fighting back in front of his belt. Just in time, too. A knick on his leg proved just how effective that strike would have been. The belt, with its assorted trappings, was asking over his shoulder.

"I give." He walked away, one hand raised in a goodbye. "Ain't fun anymore, getting all serious ace shit. Not my style. Besides, whipping a little kid ain't th' best way t' earn the squad allegiance, huh?" With a mocking grin, he winked. "I'll expect my apology 'n the morning." And with that, the man disappeared in a burst of reishi.

[Amagai Kuchiki]

As Kubi flash stepped away from Takehiko, Takehiko could almost taste the victory. He had his opponent on the run, and had already inflicted some moderate damage. Kubi had moved away before Takehiko could inflict truly critical wounds on his leg, but he at least had drawn blood, and that would likely tilt the moral victory in his favor. The man was already muttering to himself, questioning his life choices it sounded like. Only a few more attacks and the fight would be over. Takehiko prepared to pursue his opponent before the man opened his mouth once more. "I give." Wait, what? This wasn't suppose to be how it was going to end. He was meant to ruin Kubi, destroy him. And now his victory was being stolen away right in front of him. That felt almost like a loss in a way.

No. He was being idiotic. Kubi began to talk about how the fight wasn't really his style, but Takehiko tuned him out. He flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it. He should be happy by the end result. His actions would honor the Kuchiki clan, as well as bring himself personal glory. He was the Vice Captain, all he needed was his shiny badge. And all of this without using up too many of his resources, without revealing too many of his tricks. Very reluctantly, Takehiko relaxed, and accepted the win, paying attention to Kubi again just as the man asked for an apology. Takehiko shook his head softly. "Not sure if I can oblige you that after you insulted the Kuchiki." A wicked smile danced across his face. "But do let me know if you end up needing to see a doctor for that ear. I'll make sure to deliver on those flowers I promised." He gave his foe a very slight bow, one more of tradition rather than genuine respect, before Kubi vanished. Alright then, one step closer to his goal.

Takehiko raised his arms above his head, and turned towards the crowd, those who stayed despite his spiritual pressure. "Thanks for coming to witness this occasion. And for those of you coming away from this poorer than before, I'd like to remind you of a little saying we have in the family: Never bet against a Kuchiki." With that, he dropped his arms, and walked towards the building where the captain sat on the roof of. "Thank you for generously taking time out of your busy schedule to witness this, Captain. I hope to be a truly great right hand man in years to come." He was worried that he was acting a bit presumptuous, but figured he deserved it. After all, he was the new Vice Captain of Squad Three.

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

+370 TP to Takehiko
+220 TP to Kubi

OOC: Baja, you can still post your cinematic thingy. The actual combat has been graded, is all.

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

Alexander was just there on the roof watching this fight the whole time. He casually ate popcorn, but he was not amused. He was not entertained. This fight proved to be short, and, by his standards, uneventful. There were no streams of blood, severed limbs. There were no serious insults and battlecries. In fact, they didn't even release! But regardless, Alexander has seen a bit. And for him, that bit was enough. Takehiko, who was in mere moments going to be officially recognized as Vice Captain of Squad 3, had been analyzed by Alexander. Despite only bits and pieces shown, Alexander has seen that he was good material for physical combat. His speed wasn't half bad, and he could learn Hakuda to become even deadlier. Alexander made a mental note to teach him some Hakuda when he had time... provided that lived to that moment. These were times of war after all, and even in peace, everybody in Squad 3 was expendable, and nobody, regardless of rank, was irreplaceable. However, as he watched aftermath and Takehiko addressing his squad mates, Alexander grinned. He was apparently leader material as well, which was good. "Thanks for coming to witness this occasion. And for those of you coming away from this poorer than before, I'd like to remind you of a little saying we have in the family: Never bet against a Kuchiki." Alexander chuckled a bit because of that, since to him it was highly amusing to bet on a fight only for that fight to last only for so long, or to be more precise, so short.

Takehiko approached the building where Alexander was, and addressed Alexander. "Thank you for generously taking time out of your busy schedule to witness this, Captain. I hope to be a truly great right hand man in years to come." Alexander got up on his feet, and nodded to Takehiko before he jumped down the roof and straight in front of Takehiko. It was a bit awkward since he had to Look down on Takehiko anyway, being that much taller. However, when he spoke his tone was rather soft, but loud enough for everybody to hear. "Meh, it's nothing. And there are formalities that need to be observed anyway. Therefore, in my authority as Captain of Squad 3 I formally accept your promotion to the rank of Vice Captain on the merit of winning position by trial of combat. Not that there was much combat, but you are now a Vice Captain." Saying that, Alexander took Vice Captain badge out of his pocket and handed it to Takehiko. "I planned to piece together a proper speech for the occasion but you two just didn't give me enough time. Still, I will tell you what is most important. These are dark times, times of war on all front. Therefore, you always must know where your loyalty... Where your true loyalty lies. And that is with Soul Society and entire Shinigami race. It may sound a bit blunt, but Soul Society can exist without Kuchiki, yet it can never be the other way around. Think a bit about that. I look forward to working with you." And after saying that last line, Alexander said nothing more, disappearing with Shunpo to continue his daily duties.