Spar with the New Captain? Taiho vs. Hotaru, PG-13, NDE

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

Thread Title: Spar with the New Captain? Taiho vs. Hotaru
Participants: Taihō Kasumi’Oji and Hotaru Kuchiki
World: Soul Society
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: PG-13
Location: The forest outside the Rukongai.
Special Conditions: None.
Circumstances: Sozen Kuchiki, in his infinite wisdom, had decided that the best way to help young Hotaru Kuchiki get stronger is for her to engage in a friendly spar with Taihō Kasumi’Oji, the new Captain of Squad 8. Taihō, always eager to find new test subjects to abuse, agreed to "assist" the girl.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru Kuchiki was in the Kuchiki manor house, walking around. Ever since she had been inducted into this family, she has been coming to the manor every so often, so she could try to get the layout of the place. It was so enormous  that she felt like she had barely seen half of this place. So, when Sozen-sama called her to talk more about her 'training,' she was cringing on the inside. His last little bit of 'training' involved some pretty horrific things, so she wasn't that excited about it.

But, she had to admit, he did make her much stronger than she was before. So, there was a method to his madness. She had been wandering for a bit, wondering where his actual study was. After about five minutes of searching, she found it and knocked on the door. She heard the familiar voice say come in and when she walked in, she looked up. She was thankful that it was the normal looking Sozen, not the young one that was pretty psychotic. She adverted her eyes down, not wanting to make him angry.

He told her quickly to head over to the forest that is outside of Rukongai. She would meet the new Eighth Squad Captain. He then dismissed her. She bowed before she quickly left. Once she shut the door, she let out a huge sigh of relief. Though, she didn't know this new captain, so maybe she shouldn't be doing that. Knowing Sozen-sama, this captain was just as powerful and 'torture friendly' as he was. Well, it was too late now. The head of her family wished it, and it was too late to say no.

She made her way out of the manor house and started to walk slowly out to Rukongai. He did happen to tell her the name before she left. Her name was Taiho Kasumi'Oji. She knew that she had to be related to the captain of the Twelfth Squad, but she was curious what the nature of the relation was. If they were siblings, cousins, half-siblings or whatever. She slowly made her way through Rukongai, dodging all the glares the residents were giving her.

Finally, she made her way out of Rukongai and hit the forest. The forest was beautiful. It also reminded her of Caedir, the cheetah Beast-Clan member she met out in this forest and fought with. She wondered how that cheetah was doing now. She admired the forest and then ran into a clearing. She saw that there was a woman in the clearing was wearing the captain's jacket with the number eight on it, so this must be the captain. She quickly walked up and bowed. "I am here as instructed Kasumi'Oji-taicho. I am ready for what you have planned for me."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Strength - [(200) - 25%] (150) Points.
Speed - [(160) + 35%] (216) Points.
Spiritual Pressure – [(200) - 25%] (150) Points.
Reiatsu Strength – [(160) + 35%] (216) Points.
Light Aura - [70] Points
Dark Aura - [30] Points
Instinct - [100] Points.
Senses - [100] Points.
Energy sensory - [50] Points
Healing Expertise - [0] Points
Total SP = 870

[Weapons: Swords] 2
[Pain Tolerance] 2
[Bleeding Tolerance] 1
[Illusion Resist] 1
[Damage Recovery] 2
[Poison Resist] 1
[Learning] 1
[Battle Focus] 1
[HoHo] 1

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

(OOC: Sorry for the delay. You know what they say: There ain't no rest for the wicked. XD. I hope this enjoyable for both of us.)

SPOILER: Click to show

There was hardly a sound to be heard as Taihō Kasumi’Oji, newly minted Captain of the Gotei Thirteen made her way through the thick forests outside the Rukongai. It seemed that every living being along her path, from the birds and the beasts to the trees and even a stray Hollow held their breath, waiting, hoping, that she would pass them by. There was no bird song, so rustling of leaves, no anything as she made her way through the gloomy, twilight forest. Event he sun seemed hesitant to show itself around her; in the Rukongai proper, the sun shone brightly, filling the streets with light, and warmth and hope. In the forest, only a cool, desolate glow filtered down to ground level, bright enough to see, but dark enough to appease the equally gloomy Captain.   As she walked down the winding forest trail to the clearing she had selected for the day's activities she recalled the series of events that lead her to the forest.

***

It had been just a short while after being formally accepted as the new Captain of Squad 8, following the esteemed Rave Haretsu's  disappearance. One of the many servants tot he Kasumi'Oji family approached her as she sat by a high window to enjoy her morning meal and gaze out at the Garden sprawling about the manor, gently pulsating with it's own vast, subtle power like an eldritch god. Taihō, noticing the older man's unease, made the effort to suppress her Reiatsu, and reel in the sicking, overpoweringly evil aura she naturally exuded. Only then was the servant able to hand her a rather plain envelope, sealed with the Kuchiki family crest, and take his leave. None of the servants ever stayed near her to long; they always had much more pressing matters to attend to. In truth, this suited Taihō. She had never been fond of the anyway. There was only one servant she had ever enjoyed seeing, and she was...gone.

Taihō opened the envelope casually, examining the letter within in minute detail. As she had expected, it was from Sozen himself. The beginning was a personal congratulations on hr becoming Captain, as well as a great deal of normal Noble prattle. She almost ripped the letter in half when she got to that point, but she spied a paragraph near the end that was intriguing. 

"Very well" she said to herself as she finished reading, before neatly folding the letter up again, and placing it back in the envelope. She stood, raising to her full, imposing height, before setting the envelope on the table she had been sitting at, for one of the servants to dispose of. "I could do with a new test subject. Hopefully, this one doesn't die like the others did."

***

As she neared the clearing, Taihō suppressed her Reiatsu, masking her presence and concealing her overpowering aura. She took up a position near the center of the field, and waited, her over-sized Haori concealing ever inch of flesh below her nose. At just over six feet tall, Taihō would tower over her younger opponent, further adding to her imposing appearance. as the young Kuchiki girl set foot in the clearing, Taihō locked her empty blue eyes on Hotaru, seeking to meet her gaze. The girl, Hotaru Kuchiki, came running in, but stopped a respectful distance away when she saw Taihō, and bowed.

"I am here as instructed Kasumi'Oji-taicho. I am ready for what you have planned for me."

SPOILER: Click to show

"...Are you?" Those two words, spoken in a voice softer than a butterfly's roar, would be just audible to Hotaru in the silent clearing. They were edged with a thin undercurrent of malice, even though this was the first time the two women had ever met. "I don't think you are ready...for anything." As she spoke, Taihō slowly unwound her Reiatsu, letting it expand outward and wash over Hotaru. It was an aura full of bloodlust, thick with an unrelenting madness, an urge to kill and destroy. In terms of raw Reiatsu Strength, Taihō was equal to Sozen, but not even his Reiatsu could compare to what Hotaru would feel now. No matter what horrors Sozen unleashed on her, he would always care about Hotaru, and take steps to ensure her well being. Taihō didn't have this problem. She wouldn't kill the girl, but Hotaru would be able to tell as soon as that Reiatsu washed over her that the Captain of Squad 8 wouldn't be going easy on her either. This was going to be a true battle, against a vastly more power opponent. Would she be able to hold her own? She was about to find out.

"Sozen has made you strong, it would seem. But, you need to be shone how weak you still are. That is what he said. That is why you are here." She paused here, letting that sink in before continuing "On this day, you will experience your own weakness. It will consume you. Such is your fate, the fate that has been selected for you. Fight me. Fight your fate, and be broken. Fight me as if your life depends on it. Because...it does."

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [200 -> 100] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400 -> 1000] Points

Light Aura - [0] Points

Dark Aura - [100] Points

Instinct - [125] Points

Senses - [125] Points

Energy sensory - [150] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1600] 

SPOILER: Click to show

Abilities

• [Weapon: Swords] [3]
  
  
• [Weapon: Scythe] [3]
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] [3]
  
  
• [Stealth] [3]
  
  
• [Strength of Will] [3]
  
  

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

While Hotaru Kuchiki was walking up to the clearing to face the new captain, she took her in. She saw that the Captain Haori that she was given was large. Rather, too large for her. Then, when she looked closer, it was insanely too big for her. Why would she put up with something that much larger than her? Was she trying to hid something from everyone or just people she thought of as her enemies.

It was curious. But, when she straightened up to full height to look at the captain, she noticed that she was taller than her. This was the first female that Hotaru had met that was actually taller than her. It was a very interesting aspect to this battle for her. She would relish in that opportunity. And, relish the opportunity the captain was willing to help train her. That was nice too.

She spoke saying if she really was ready and that she didn't think she was ready for anything. She looked into beautiful blue eyes before she felt the reiatsu of the captain. It was a feeling she's felt from Sozen, bloodlust, death and destruction, with madness in it. At first, it honestly didn't phase her too much. Enough training with Sozen and she was pretty much used to this kind of reiatsu. But, then, it started to feel differently.

She felt the emotions even stronger in her than from Sozen and that was definitely saying something. She knew from that alone that this Captain wouldn't hold back against her and would actually kill her if given the chance. Well, probably not now because Sozen sent her over here, but she could still mess her up pretty bad. She took a deep breath to steady herself. This battle would take a lot out of her, so she had to be ready.

The Captain now told her that Sozen made her strong but she needed to be shone how weak she still is and that's why she's here. She will experience her own weakness, it would consume her. She wanted her to fight her, fight her fate and be broken. Fight like her life depends on it because it does. Since the captain made it pretty clear she was going to attack first, she had to figure out what would be a good attack against this captain.

But, if she was going to fight for her life, she might as well release now. "Burn, Rivu~aiasan!" Right after she said that, before the captain would notice what her release actually looked like, she Shunpoed over to the captain's right side, still giving the captain about four feet of space and shot out her liquid towards her. She hoped that this would keep the captain on her toes, but she doubted that was the case.

OOC: Reiatsu 1450/1500 -50 for Shunpo, Shikai 1/8

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

The battle has only just begun, and already she's activated her Shikai? She's bold...or foolish... Taihō knew a little bit about Hotaru's release, thanks to the research she had preformed prior to arriving. Unfortunately, the Kuchiki family where perhaps the one group in Soul Society that were better at keeping secrets than the Kasumi'Oji clan, and so information on even a low-ranking member was scarce. However, Taihō had been able to glean that the young Kuchiki used a fire-based Zanpakuto, which naturally made her dangerous. However, it seemed there was something unusual about her release, which Taihō had been unable to uncover details of. So, when the woman appeared at her side, spraying a liquid from her weapon, Taihō reacted in a manner she felt appropriate to the threat. She reacted with extreme violence, like an angry god smacking down an impudent worshiper, a show of force that emphasize the difference in skill and power between he two women. With her superior speed and instinct, Taihō deftly dodged to the side, avoiding the spray of liquid entirely. If Hotaru had attacked from a closer distance, or had she been faster, the attack may well have hit, for Taihō herself admitted to a certain lacking in the grace department. As it was, however, the gap between them was wide enough, and Taihō was fast enough, to avoid the attack.

Now, it was her turn.

Extending her right hand to her side, she started toward the Kuchiki girl. It would look more than a little bit silly, actually, with Taihō's long sleeve hanging down lazily where her hand was. Silly, until without warning the Right Hand of the Kasumi'Oji clan's Zanpakuto snapped into her hand. from here it had come, Hotaru would have no idea. It didn't seem to have been on Taihō before that moment, and there was no indication that it had been under her coat. One moment, it wasn't there, the next it was. In truth, Taihō never kept the blade on her person, leaving it instead in her chambers. When needed, she used a special Kido to summon it to her, and to send it back when it was no longer needed. This was how she became instantly armed, with one of the most dangerous Zanpakuto that ever existed. It was a beautiful weapon, forged with exquisite attention to detail in the forges of the Kasumi'Oji family. If Hotaru thought she had seen a fine sword, she was wrong. The weapons of the Kuchiki, the Kawada, the other Noble houses, were all fine, but none could compare to the weapon of a Kasumi'Oji. The clan had once forged weapons for the Spirit King himself; it was only natural that the weapons they forged for themselves were of similar quality.

However, it wasn't the beauty of the weapon that Hotaru would notice. It was the size. It was an outlandish weapon, almost seven feet long including the hilt. With a blade that seemed to absorb light, rather than reflect it, and enough length to impale Hotaru three times over, it was a truly intimidating sword. Taihō already had an advantage over Hotaru, in terms of her reach. She was taller, with longer arms, meaning she had a longer reach. Now, her reach had become truly imposing.

"I appreciate your directness. Trying to fight me with a sealed weapon would've been a waste of both our time." She spoke with a soft, empty voice. Yes, empty, perhaps even hollow. There was no tone, no inflection, no anything as she spoke. Her expression was blank, devoid of anger or fear or joy or sadness, as those deep blue eyes searched for Hotaru's. Without further comment, or any warning, Taihō descended upon the Kuchiki, attacking with a ferocious single handed sword style, heavy blows from above that would carve Hotaru open like a melon if they connected. After just a few moment's, however, Taihō's entire stance changed with the fluid grace of a of one who had been trained with the sword since a young age, to a more traditional style used with katana, and she moved through an elegant attack sequence, constantly pressing toward Hotaru. Hotaru would be hard pressed to guard against the superior speed and strength of the Kasumi'Oji, and would be forced to retreat before she was cut to pieces by the assault.

In truth, there were other action's Taihō could've taken to counter Hotaru's attack. However, Taihō was a scientist more than she was a warrior. She was similar to Azumi in this way, though she hated to admit it. And any good scientist followed a certain methodology when conduction their tests. That's what this was to Taihō. A test. She was examining Hotaru, to see what potential she had, as a soldier, as a threat, as a subject for use in further tests. And so, though she could've ended the fight easily, Taihō chose not to. She would conduct the test thoroughly, until she had learned everything she needed to. And right now, all she wanted was to answer a simple question: How do I kill you? That was all she wanted to know. Everything else she learned would be put toward answering that question. Hotaru's use of Shunpo, the liquid she had shot at Taihō, everything she did would be analyzed, in order to find an appropriate strategy for dealing with Hotaru. In truth, it wasn't so much of a combat style for Taihō as it was a hobby; she enjoyed running tests like these. Hotaru would be fighting for her life; Taihō was having fun, though you wouldn't know it from looking at her blank expression. It was for that reason that she held back, though Hotaru probably wouldn't notice. The test would be over to soon if Taihō went full tilt against her. So, even though she could've sliced cleanly through the Kuchiki's blade, she didn't. Even though she could've employed her Mind Hana to break the woman's spirit, she didn't. Even though she could've released and ended Hotaru outright, she didn't. She was enjoying the test to much to even think about ending it now. This was going to be a long, very thorough and very messy experiment. 

"Don't die yet, Kuchiki-san. We've only just begun."

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru watched as the captain avoided her liquid attack completely. It was something that she was expecting, but to see it happen so easily sucked pretty bad. She knew that a captain's level was much greater than a Third Seat, but it showed her that she needed to work much harder before she could fight on par with the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen. Since she wanted to become a Captain, the spars against the Captains would help her to make a Captaincy one day.

Then, she saw the captain extend her right hand out. Well, she assumed it was her right hand extending, because she couldn't see the limb, even with the movement itself. She now knew that the Haori was big enough to pretty much engulf the entirety of her body. She still didn't understand why she would wear something like that, but to each their own. She watched the air and then a zanpaktou just appeared out of nowhere. How in the hell did she manage that?

Being a samurai's child, she has seen many blades. She didn't know the ins and outs of blade making, but she had a knack for telling good quality blades, thanks to her father. She could tell that even those this katana was at least twice the size of a normal blade, she could tell that it was insanely good quality just by looking at it. She was curious, since she was a noble by birth, if that sword was made especially for her by an insanely good swordsmith. It looked like it.

But, just the size of that sword was amazing. She had seen large swords before. She does remember that she's seen only one Zanbato before, the famous horse slaying sword. She knew they called it that because it was big enough to slay horse and rider with one slash. She didn't believe it until she saw one. After that, and seeing it in action, she definitely believed it. But, with that sword, it was much thicker, making it heavy. This sword, however was thin. She assumed the blade wasn't brittle, or it wouldn't be used in combat. A true master must've made the sword to give it strength and great length like that.

The captain now said that she appreciated her directness, because fighting her with a sealed weapon would've been a waste of time. She agreed. There was no point in that with a gap in power as big as theirs. But, the voice she used to reply to her was completely empty and hollow, devoid of any emotion. It sounded almost like Takashi's but emptier than that. She didn't think it was possible, but this captain was able to do it. Her watched her eyes search her before she struck.

And she ended up striking hard. Since her sword gave her an insane reach, she didn't realize she was getting attacked until she watched the Haori move downwards on her. She had to Shunpo away. She didn't have the strength to stay and power through the captain's attack. But, after she Shunpo'ed away, the captain came towards her again, except this time, she switched to a more traditional swordplay that she was actually used to seeing. She would've been able to fight and block with the captain, if her skills were there, but they weren't.

So, again, she had to Shunpo away or get skewered by the enormously long blade of the captain. She heard the captain tell her not to die yet since they've only just begun. She nodded her head in agreement. "I don't plan on dying yet, Kasumi'Oji-taichou. But, I do have to tell you that your sword's craftmanship is truly exquisite. Was it made for you personally? If so, give my regards to its swordsmith." She then fashioned her grenade and threw it at the captain. She knew it probably wouldn't work, but she wanted to try anything at this point.

OOC: Reiatsu 1300/1500 -100 for Shunpo x2, -50 for Kasai Shuryūdan, Shikai 2/8 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Tech}
Kasai shuryūdan (Fire grenade): The liquid she has control of is compressed inoto a small vessel, covered with her scales. Then, she will throw her grenade at her enemy, while her scales coat themselves with more of her liquid. When it hits the ground or the enemy, it immediately lights and explodes. It creates a big enough explosion to propel her up in the air if needed and creates a shockwave. The amount of reiatsu lost is 200.
Cost: 50 Reiatsu
Weakness: If your defense or strength is strong enough, you could power through the shockwave and initial explosion. If you are fast enough to get to Hotaru before she throws it, that will obviously negate the attack. If you are able to stop her liquid, that would negate the attack as well.

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

"I don't plan on dying yet, Kasumi'Oji-taichou. But, I do have to tell you that your sword's craftmanship is truly exquisite. Was it made for you personally? If so, give my regards to its swordsmith."

This comment, this one sentence, actually made Taihō Kasumi'Oji do something she almost never did. She paused int he middle of her attack. It was so unexpected, Taihō actually stopped attacking, just for a moment, to process it. Very people were concerned with the craftsmanship of the seven foot long sword that was currently being used to try and kill them. The thought that Hotaru would inquire into the origins of the blade was so unusual to Taihō that it actually derailed her train of thought, just by a tiny bit, just enough to cause her to slow in her attack. However, it only lasted for an instant, then she was back to normal.

"No." She lied easily, as casual as one taking a breath. "The forges of our family haven't been lit in almost five hundred years. I doubt they would've been used to craft a weapon for me anyway." Taihō lied to the Kuchiki out of habit as much as anything else. As the Right Hand of the Kasumi'Oji family, and as the main enforcer of Azumi's sprawling criminal empire, Taihō had gotten so used to speaking lies, she sometimes forgot what it was like to actually speak a truthful statement. However, there was a motive behind her lie as well. The Kuchikis were an enemy. Of course, they were still a part of Soul Society, and many were involved with the Gotei Thirteen. In that capacity, they were allies. However, the two families, Kasumi'Oji and Kuchiki, often clashed, leading Taihō to consider them to be enemies of the family. And, when talking about a weapon as powerful as her Zanpakuto, one could never be to careful with the information they let slip to their enemies. One misplaced comment could reveal the nature of Taihō's immensely powerful Zanpakuto, reducing it's effectiveness in battle. And that was something Taihō could not tolerate.

After asking her question, Hotaru formed some kind of scaly object and threw it at Taihō. The Captain wasn't sure what was inside the projectile, or what would happen if it hit her, but knew better than to underestimate even an opponent so outclassed as Hotaru was. So, rather than risk letting the object his her, Taihō dodged it with a Shunpo, vanishing from the attack's trajectory, and reappearing a few feet behind and slightly to the left of the Kuchiki. This wasn't particularly unusual, and in fact Hotaru would most likely suspect something like it as a response to her attack. However, there was something odd about the way Taihō vanished and reappeared. It was completely silent. Taihō was a master at moving unnoticed, and it was easy for her negate the normal sound of a Shunpo, causing her to reappear behind Hotaru without warning. What she did next would be truly crippling to the Kuchiki.

"See No Evil" As she spoke, Taihō extended her free hand toward the Kuchiki, and fired a thin white beam from her index finger, which would move at a speed of 800 to strike Hotaru. The beam would deal no damage, however. What it would do was much worse. Upon contact, the beam would disable the parts of Hotaru's brain responsible for converting sensory data into useful information, effectively sealing one of her senses. It was up to Taihō to choose which one to seal, and she was certain of the one that would be most disruptive to the Kuchiki: Sight. Upon contact with the beam, Hotaru would find nothing but darkness before her eyes. Hotaru would be left without her sight for the remainder of the match, unless she dodged the beam. Taihō, however, wasn't finished, and raised her sword to about shoulder height, bringing it back to prepare for a thrusting attack. Her sword was so long, the tip was just inches from Hotaru's back, close enough that she would feel it if she happened to move just right, or impale herself if she moved wrong. After a moment, she thrusted the blade forward, aiming to drive it through Third Seat's left shoulder blade and out though her chest, crippling her left arm if the attack connected. Taihō aimed her attack to avoid striking any major organs, so it wouldn't be a battle ending or life threatening injury. It would, however, show Taihō how the Kuchiki would adjust to losing the use of one of her limbs. That, and Taihō just liked making people scream. She hoped Hotaru would, as the immense sword pierced her flesh.

"Do you still appreciate the quality of my sword, Kuchiki-san?"


Reiatsu: 3000-50=2950

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru noticed that after she commented on the captain's sword, her attack slowed. The pause in her attack wasn't that long, but she noticed that from the way she was attacking before, it was definitely slower than it was going. She guessed that maybe no one else had thought to ask about the sword that was trying to kill them. But, it was so long, it was easier for her to tell out little differences in the blade.

It did make her feel good that she was able to at least derail the captain for a second. The captain then did her the honor of replying, saying that no, it wasn't made for her. Her family forges hadn't been lit for five hundred years and she doubted that they would've been used to craft a weapon for her anyway. Hotaru wasn't even asking for the secrets of the sword, but she now realized that she should've phrased the question better.

If she remembered correctly from what she read up on noble families, Kuchiki was what most people considered the main noble family. Then, the rest. But, her family, the Kasumi'Oji were making a big comeback to get in equal power with hers. Since, if she what she knows about this captain's position in her family is true, she is Azumi-taichou's right hand. She's the one that makes sure family matters are taken care of.

She knew that in her family, Hokori-taichou did basically the same thing. This captain could also think of her as an enemy, since she is from a different noble house. Knowing a little about the way of those kinds of politics, you never tell an enemy about your sword, so they can't get one as great as your own. She knew better, but her manners slipped by her. She would not make that mistake again. There was also something else odd about the statement. She didn't know of many families that would just shut down forges like that. She would keep all of this to herself of course.

Next, she watched as the captain was trying to figure out the object that Hotaru threw at her. But, the captain did the better move and just Shunpo'ed out of the way of her grenade, which was a smart move. If the fire would've gotten on the captain, she didn't think that she would have too good of a time with trying to get rid of it. If she did try to get rid of it, more than likely it would just spread the fire, making it worse for her.

When the captain Shunpo'ed out of the way, she didn't really know where the captain would pop up because she didn't know the capabilities of her zanpaktou. But, she knew that she would more than likely either appear behind her or to the side of her. As she thought about it and got her blade ready, she assumed that behind would be the most likely, giving her blade the most reach without her realizing it. She took a breath and was able to hear when the captain appeared.

Before the captain could finish saying her phrase, Hotaru shunpo'ed out to the right side of the captain. She didn't want to find out what that phrase would do to her. She knew that all the noble families had special hanas and she assumed that this was one special to her family. She didn't perform any of the variations of Shunpo, because due to the captain's sword, she was too far away. So, right when she reappeared to the right of the captain, she quickly formed her cone shape, lit it on fire and sent it towards the captain, saying "Doragonburesu." She then added, "I am also sorry for asking about your sword. I should know better than to not ask about another's sword. My apologies taichou, please forgive me."

OOC: Reiatsu: 1150/1500 -50 for Shunpo, -100 for Doragonburesu Shikai 3/8

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

Taihō was more than a little bit surprised when Hotaru dodged her attack. Considering the Captain's skill in moving unnoticed, it should've been impossible for the Kuchiki to realize where she was so quickly, let alone dodge her attack. However, Taihō reasoned that it had been a fairly easy move to anticipate. If that was the case, Taihō decided to see how Hotaru would react to the unexpected. But first, she would have to deal with the cone of fire approaching her. The sane thing to do would be to run. The cowardly thing to do would be to run screaming. Unfortunately for Hotaru, Taihō was neither sane, nor was she a coward. Hotaru would most likely be dismayed as she watched Taihō turn to face her, gazing cooly straight down the maw of a flaming vortex of pain and death flying toward her. How did the Captain respond? What did she do to defend herself?

"Cute." Was all she said in response to Hotaru's attack. It stuck Taihō as cute, how hard she was trying to win. Hotaru was vastly outclassed, but she refused to give up when most others would've by now. She couldn't possibly think she would win, but she was certainly going to go down swinging. It was cute. Adorable, actually. However, given the deadpan, icy tone with which Taihō had said it, that probably wasn't the Kuchiki would think she meant. It actually came off as more of a "That's cute. Got anything else for me?" type of response. Which suited Taihō fine. Even if Hotaru was cute, Taihō would still crush her. Her situation hadn't improved any; if anything, it would become worse. Taihō loved experimenting on cute things.

But still, there was the roaring inferno to deal with. Taihō gathered her Reiatsu, and flared it around herself, a wall of sheer power far stronger than anything Hotaru could muster. It would blow her attack away, overwhelm it, subdue and seduce it, and scatter it in the wind. In an instant, the raging storm of fire had been quelled, with naught but stray embers to suggest it had ever existed. This was Taihō's power. She was among the strongest Captains in the Gotei Thirteen.

"Apology accepted, Kuchiki-san. I am quite used to receiving questions about this sword." She spoke calmly, as if nothing had happened. She had batted aside Hotaru's attack like it was nothing, without so much as a single strand of hair out of place, and acted as if nothing had happened. It wasn't meant as an insult, though it would probably be taken that way. In truth, Taihō didn't think to respond any other way. TO her fragile mind, what she had said was entirely appropriate. And even if Hotaru was insulted, Taihō wouldn't have noticed, or cared for that matter. She was here to test Hotaru, and the test was nearing it's end with alarming speed. Well, Alarming for Hotaru, anyway.

Without preamble, Taihō focused her Reiatsu on Hotaru, crushing her with gravitational pressure of her soul. The Kuchiki would be strong enough to avoid being instantly killed by the Captain, and could even resist the effect for a time. But it would be enough to distract her as Taihō waved her hand toward the ground upon which Hotaru stood, muttering "Calcitro". Almost at once, the ground would buck under Hotaru's feet, before a massive tentacle burst up out of the ground. Ten feet long and five feet wide, covered in eyes and armored plates, the tentacle would lash out at Hotaru, seeking to take her in it's grip and break her. If she didn't flee, it would wrap itself around her chest and squeeze, cracking her ribs and shattering her spine, before hoisting her high into the air. It wouldn't kill her, but it would break her.

"I enjoyed this test, Kuchiki-san. However, I've learned everything I need for today. I hope this was as educational for you as it was for me." She spoke int he same cold, dry voice as always, all the while exerting her crushing will upon the Kuchiki. How would she respond?

Reiatsu: 2950-400=2550 (Forgot to subtract Reiatsu for See No Evil last post)

Life Force: 3000-600=2400

SPOILER: Click to show

{Calcitro Stats}Strength: 800
Speed: 200
Spr. Pr: 0
Reiatsu Strength: 0
Sense: 150
Instinct: 150
Energy Senses: 0
Healing Expertise: 0

Life Force: 1000 (Used as Health)

Soil Life Force: 1000 (5/5 Posts of Tentacle Life)[/font]

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

It looked to Hotaru that the captain was fairly surprised that she was able to tell where the attack was coming from. But, like she thought before, there were only a few actual places that would make sense for the captain to attack her. She assumed that that little part alone would make the captain think more outside the box. She just hoped that she would be able to dodge enough of the captain's attacks that she wouldn't get too hurt.

Then the captain looked over and saw her fire cone attack coming straight towards her. She didn't expect the captain to really do anything, since she could easily overpower her. The captain even commented that her attack was cute. But, it was the way she said it that she knew something bad was going to happen next. But, she expected something bad to happen. She imagined that she was going to throw the attack back at her or something.

What she did, though, was pretty much what she thought she would do. She didn't throw it back per say. She felt the flare in the reiatsu of the captain and she sent it out, surrounding the captain and hitting Hotaru's attack. She watched as just the sheer power of the captain's reiatsu quelled the fire she sent out and made it look like the fire wasn't even there in the first place. One second it was there, the next it was gone.

It was impressive and she raised an eyebrow at that. She needed to remember that this captain could do this at any time to any of her attacks. Then, the captain told her that the apology was accepted and that she gets many questions about her sword. She assumed she would too. Most can't handle a sword that large. But, from what she's seen, she handles the sword quite well. She would definitely look into the libraries about how a sword that big can be forged without getting so brittle. It was that little fact about her sword that piqued her curiosity.

Then, she felt something in the air. In an instant, she felt the same pressure in the air that she did from Sozen when he was 'training' her in that basement training area. His reiatsu pressure was horrible and this pressure made her remember what he had done to her there. She was strong, but she knew for a fact that Sozen was in a class all his own. The pressure did make her go down to a knee, but through everything, she was able to tolerate the pain of the reiatsu.

She knew she couldn't stand for much longer, so she hoped to try to do at least one movement before she couldn't stand against the pressure anymore. She saw the captain wave towards the ground under her feet. She knew she had to do something quick before she would get crushed. She made another grenade. When Hotaru noticed her lips move, she let the grenade fall and Shunpo out to the right. Since she was on one knee, she had one foot free to use the step technique.

When she ended it, she ended up six feet away to the right and immediately fell down on the ground. She probably shouldn't have tried that, but she needed to do something. She was sitting, but the pressure was slowly getting to her. It was to the point she had to start laying down on the ground. But, she saw the tentacle and hoped that it grabbed the grenade and the grenade exploded in its tentacled grip.

While she was sitting/laying there, he heard the captain say that she enjoyed the test, but she had learned everything she needed to for today. She hoped it was as educational for her as it was for the captain. She smiled while gritting her teeth. "I don't think the test is over quite yet, Taiho-taichou. I want to continue with this test, since I still have air in my lungs to breath and fight." She was trying to fight back as much as possible, but she knew this pressure was going to hit her harder the longer she fought against it.

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

She can still move? Impressive...but futile. Taihō watched as Hotaru vanished out of the way with a Shunpo, avoiding the tentacle bursting out of the ground just in time to avoid being caught up in it's grasp. And she left a present for it, in the form of another of the strange, scale covered orbs she had thrown at Taihō earlier. Obviously, it was some kind of weapon, but Taihō decided it wasn't important. It didn't matter to her what happened to the tentacle, since it was just a weapon. A living, partially sentient weapon, but it was still just a weapon. It was meant to be used, maintained as long as it was useful, and abandoned as soon as it was not. And so, Taihō chose to leave the tentacle to it's own devices, as it crushed the tiny orb with the strength of a colossus, and promptly blew itself up. It's armor and sheer meatiness let it survive largely unscathed, but it was now engulfed in purple flames, which seemed to distress it somewhat. The tentacle let out a low, plaintive moan as it began thrashing about wildly, trying to put out the flames covering it's body with little success. In fact, it nearly crushed Hotaru in it's flailing, striking the ground around her with enough force to shake the trees nearby. A minuscule frown crossed Taihō's face, hidden behind her coat, and with a thought, she ended the tentacle's life. It wouldn't do to accidentally pulverize the Kuchiki. Not when Taihō had so many experiments she wanted to preform in the future. The tentacle froze in an instant, then slowly crumbled into dust. It was a weapon, and Taihō had discarded it.

"I don't think the test is over quite yet, Taiho-taichou. I want to continue with this test, since I still have air in my lungs to breath and fight."

Taihō regarded Hotaru coldly, as she continued to exert the crushing power on the Kuchiki. Already, Hotaru had been brought to her knees, and she was sinking fast. The battle was over, but she still had the defiant spirit to suggest it wasn't. Like Taihō herself, Hotaru refused to quite until it was really and truly over. Taihō could respect that. She saw know why Sozen had wanted her to train Hotaru. Such a trait could be immensely useful in battle, but only if Hotaru understood her own limits and abilities. That was why she needed to be shown how much she needed to improve. So that, when the time cake, she would be able to stand up again, and keep fighting even after her enemy considered the battle to be over. That was what Taihō understood to be true, however it wasn't what guided her next actions.

"Cute". She said again, as she walked slowly toward Hotaru. Hotaru would find it difficult to stand and fight at this point, with Taihō's overwhelming power pouring over the battlefield, but she was wise enough not to drop her guard in case she did try something. Taihō came to stand directly in front of Hotaru, regarding her bleakly with cold, emotionless eyes. "You're right. You do still have air in your lungs. But, we can fix that easily enough." As she spoke, Taihō lifted her massive sword, and with an easy, casual motion pushed it into Hotaru's lungs, first the left one, then the right. There was no hint of malice or anger as she did so, but neither was there mercy. It was a slow action, and it would hurt the Third Seat. After, she would be coughing up blood, and battling would be almost impossible. "You shouldn't say things like that," Taihō informed the Kuchiki, as she pulled her blade out of her right lung, "If you get any cuter, I'll have to start vivisecting you right here and now. Would you like that?" Hotaru would hear these words, but would most likely misunderstand given the cold voice, colder than ice doused in liquid nitrogen, that Taihō used to deliver them. Besides, what did cuteness and vivisection have to do with each other? To Taihō it made sense, but probably not to Hotaru. In either case, unless Hotaru pulled something really dramatic out of her hat, the battle would be over.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru watched as the tentacle grabbed onto her grenade like she planned. The explosion didn't completely destroy it, which didn't surprise her too much. But, it was now engulfed in her flames and the more it struggled to put them out, the worse the flames would get. It started to flail around wildly trying to put itself out with no effect. The tentacle actually almost got her a few times, but when Taiho-taichou saw that it almost hit her, she didn't seemed pleased. The tentacle then frozen in place and crumbled to dust fairly slowly. It was interesting to watch but she was still fighting to stay upright. It was very difficult.

The captain looked at with a cold expression. It reminded her of a scientist looking at a test subject. Considering that her sister was the captain of the Twelfth Squad, it made sense that she would have some of the scientist blood in her. She knew that the captain thought the battle was over. Even though she was sinking, she could still barely move a limb, like she did with her foot. But, with the strength she had remaining, she figured that she had one, maybe two, good pushes left before she couldn't move anymore. She was able to stop the downward momentum and stay on her knees, but just barely.

The captain walked towards her slowly, saying cute. She guessed that meant that she thought her struggle against her was cute. While the captain slowly walked towards her, she started to make another grenade, by shooting liquid and scales in her open right hand and controlling her reiatsu to the grenade shape. She death-grip held her sword in her left, concentrating only on the pain in her hand from holding on so tight to keep herself upright. The captain stopped when she was about seven feet away from her, so her sword tip was right at her chest.

Next, Taiho said that she was right, she still had air in her lungs but she could fix that. She lifted her sword and she knew that she had to act. She didn't really want to get impaled by a sword. She's felt the pain before and it wasn't something that she wanted to relive. Right when the sword was coming towards her, she threw out her grenade, making it about two feet away. By the time the grenade hit the ground, she had started the stab. When it exploded, Hotaru used the shockwave to push herself backwards. She was able to get about three to four feet away. But, she had still been semi impaled, so she was bleeding.

But, the sword didn't pierce through all the way, which she was thankful. When she got pushed, she held both hands on her sword in a death grip so she could use the shockwave to push backwards. She was breathing very heavily now. She looked and the captain said that she shouldn't say things like that. If she got any cuter, she would have to start vivisecting her now. Then, she asked would she like that. She now knew that this woman was a little crazy. She thought it was cute to have defiance she guessed. She wouldn't showed the emotion on her face, if it wasn't already in a grimace of pain. Her arms were shaking horribly now. She would do her best to stay kneeling. She would not give up against this captain so easily.

OOC: Reiatsu: 1050/1500 -100 for Kasai Shuryūdanx2 (forgot to minus for the other one in the previous post) Shikai 5/8

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

She really was to cute. As Hotaru made yet another defiant stand, using an explosive of all things to avoid the brunt of Taihō's attack, all Taihō could think about was how cute Hotaru was proving to be. Images of the third seat strapped to a cold metal table, prepped for a completely unnecessary and probably detrimental surgery danced through the Captain's head, and those thoughts led to other, darker thoughts, which were entirely inappropriate for a battlefield. Taihō decided she would definitely have to preform further testing on Hotaru. But for now, it was time to end things.

Flexing her Reiatsu, Taihō blew the shockwave and the flames away from herself, and started walking toward Hotaru once again, slowly, casually. Hotaru had lost. They both knew it, but Hotaru was doggedly hanging on, refusing to lay down and accept her defeat. Taihō could appreciate that will power, but it was exactly this kind of thing that she had been asked to instruct the Kuchiki in. Pushing herself past her limits was a good way to end up dead, and this was the lesson Sozen had wanted Taihō to teach Hotaru. It was time to administer that lesson.

Vanishing with Shunpo, Taihō appeared behind Hotaru, standing behind her like the shadow of death. With a simple movement, she thrust her sword into the Kuchiki's back, and out through her stomach. There would be almost nothing she could do to defend herself from the attack, as weakened as she was. The battle was over, and while Hotaru's actions had been truly impressive, it was time for her to accept her fate, before she bled out and died.

"You are an impressive subject, Kuchiki-san. I can see why Sozen-taicho would be interested in you're growth. You must allow me to continue these tests once you've recovered." She pulled the blade from Hotaru's back, and flicked the blood from the massive blade in a single, elegant motion, then returned it to it's sheath back in her chambers, the blade disappearing just as it had appeared. This test was over.

Reiatsu: 2550-50=2500

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru's arms were now visibly shaking from the effort she was exerting. She thought that she might have enough energy to fight her off again, but in the shape she was now, she knew for a fact that that little bit was the last piece of resistance that she had against this captain. She didn't think that she would actually hold out this much against a captain in a regular spar, so in that aspect she really surprised herself. She was proud about it.

She watched as the captain just flexed her reiatsu more and was able to easily blow out the shockwave and fire away from herself. Hotaru took a shaky breath as the captain slowly walked towards her again. It reminded her of a casual stroll. Since the captain's reiatsu was still pressing down on Hotaru, she couldn't really do much. Her muscles were pretty much at their breaking point. She felt like this pressure was going to pull her apart.

She knew that now, she couldn't win. She knew at the beginning of the fight that she couldn't win, but she would put up a fight till her last ounce of strength was gone. It was then she noticed that the captain had vanished with Shunpo. She felt her reappear right behind her, but she was too weak to do anything at the moment. She felt the point of the sword touch her back, then searing pain and saw the sword push out to the front of her body.

She immediately felt all the pain and felt blood start to bubble up from her mouth. Once the sword was drawn out of her body, the pressure from the reiatsu stopped and Hotaru could move. She still held onto her sword and she coughed up a little amount of blood. She was holding most of it back. She immediately started to cauterize her wounds with the fire of her sword, first with the wound in the front then in the back. It was horrible pain, but she would deal with it.

The captain told her while she was taking care of herself that she is an impressive subject and she saw why Sozen was interested in her growth. The captain wanted to continue testing her once she recovered. She then flicked the blood off her sword and it disappeared. Hotaru shakily got up, with blood running down the side of her mouth. She did a very slight bow, since she could only go so far before she fell over. "It would be my honor to spar with you again, Taiho-taichou. I promise that the next time we meet, the fight will be better for you."

After she said that, she started to shakily walk. Her Shikai started to vanish then, holding her sheath in her left hand and her sword reverted back to its sealed state. She quickly cleaned her blade off her pants, sheathed it, and used it as a somewhat walking stick. Once she had gotten far enough away from the captain, she started to Shunpo towards the Fourth Division. Once, she arrived, she hobbled in and the division did what it did best. She promised herself that one day, she would be on even keel with that captain, no matter what.

[Amagai Kuchiki]

+430 TP Hotaru
+370 TP Taiho (For more TP, break up those gigantic paragraphs)