Let December Glow In Flames [PG-13, NDE]

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Thread Title: Let December Glow In Flames
Participants: Kubi Tsure, Ryunosuke Hamada
World: Hueco Mundo
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: PG-13
Location: A few miles north of the great palace of Las Noches, amongst the great sand dunes made of crystals. The area being fought in is cleared and leveled in a perfect circle, roughly 100 yards in diameter.
Special Conditions: None
Circumstances: Kubi Tsure, Squad Nine VC, has boldly ventured into Hueco Mundo, seeking Kuroi Naito. Unfortunately, he is intercepted by Ryunosuke Hamada, the relatively newly added Cuarta, who was out on a walk.

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Okay, the new album was better than Ryunosuke had originally thought it would be. Immortals had felt like they were selling out, but upon hearing The Kids Aren't Alright and Irresistible, he had changed his mind. After putting Pax AM days behind them, it was officially: Fall Out Boy was back. The new album had a distinctly Folie a Deux feeling to it, at least in regard to diverse style within the album, a very experimental feel to it. Honestly, he couldn't rank it presently, but he'd put it fairly high.

And the new Fall Out Boy album was actually why he was out here tonight: he had decided to take a walk, and listen to the new songs on a set of old, crackly headphones and a well worn iPod. Quite honestly, by now, he had come to terms with the fact that Hueco Mundo was his home, more so than the human world was. It bothered him on some level, but he'd spent a ton of time here, and his last few experiences in the human world felt...awkward.

And on this lovely walk of his, up and down, through the dunes that surrounded the great palace of Las Noches, Ryunosuke stumbled upon a lovely clearing of sand. A scenic location for combat. He stopped, standing in the clearing, then threw a punch. Twisting from the force of it, he swung his elbow, striking at the throat of an invisible foe. He rotated through an attack pattern, shadow boxing, and annihilating his hypothetical opponent. The songs in his ears played time to the beat of his heart, and the world ceased to matter.

SPOILER: Click to show

Stats
Strength: 300
Speed: 400
Reiatsu Strength: 400 (1600)
Spiritual Pressure: 400 (1600)
Energy Sensory: 100
Healing Expertise: 0
Senses: 150
Instinct: 150
Dark Aura: 50
Light Aura: 50

Skills
Street Fighting: 4
Battle Analysis: 3
Pain Tolerance: 3
Focused Eye: 2
Cero: 2

[Deleted]

He had finally arrived. After months of careful planning, he had done it. The White Desert. With grim satisfaction, he peered over the white sands, illuminated by the moon that constantly watches over this blasted place. Trees of crystal glistened ever so subtly across the wastes, casting muted reflections of light on the bleached canvas. The towering walls of Las Noches cast it's ominous shadow over it all, the surreal lighting perfect for such an ominous occasion. To another man, on another day, it would have held some dark beauty.

But to Kubi Tsuru, it was disgusting, the home of everything that opposes his most sacred ideals. And for a year, since the death of his dearest Masaki, it was the place that consumed every sober moment of his waking life. Thoughts of revenge, of destruction and genocide colored his thoughts, getting harder and harder to hide under cruel humour and vulgarity as it approached this time, the one year anniversary of the death of his entire life.

So he had taken time off, leaving his Third Seat in charge. It wouldn't matter. Squad 9 didn't do much anyway, and this was important to him. To Masaki. And it wasn't easy. He glanced down, a ghost of his smile flitting across his cheeks. The large black-and-white boar between his legs was still, for once. Perhaps it had accepted it's lot, or maybe it was waiting to buck him off again. Kubi couldn't blame him. His eyes trailed to the creatures missing hind leg, the raw stump still oozing black. Even from the tenuous grip Kubi maintained on it, he could feel the pained shudders, and almost hear the near-frenzied whimpers coming from the poor beast. It was time to let it go.

"That'll do, pig, that'll do." Kubi slid off, landing with a heavy thud on the balls of his feet. His ride tore off then, the Hollow sparing not even a backwards glance at it's erstwhile jailer, but Kubi paid it no mind. He had far more important things on his mind. 'Somewhere in those massive walls lies the source of my ire. I will find you, Kuroi. And I will put an end to you. For Masaki." For a second, his hands clenched around an object strung on a silver cord. An elegant band, set with a faceted gem, and dwarfed by the matching silver band. The rings they once wore.

"... No need to tarry here ..." He knew he should remain stealthy, avoid drawing unnecessary attention, but for this day, for this moment, it was chaos he desired. His reishi, the light golden brown of perfectly toasted bread, poured from him, sweeping across the cold world. Hundreds of creatures died from the overwhelming pressure, each light of life extinguished sending a thrill through Kubi. 'Come to be, Black Knight. I'll show you despair.'"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}


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


Total SP: [ 1400] Points

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

He didn't actually sense the Shinigami itself instantly, but rather the large number of Hollows in the surrounding area. But that was enough to cause him to look up, and turn in the direction of the horde that was beginning to pick up speed. And then he felt the battle aura of the Shinigami, flaring up, and although Ryunosuke knew that the entity wasn't quite Espada tier, he was still quite potent. A Vice Captain, perhaps? Or a particularly strong Third Seat.

But fine, if the Shinigami wanted to show off, and let his warm aura cascade over the local landscape, Ryunosuke couldn't possibly fault him. Hell, he somewhat enjoyed getting to know his foe this way. And it only seemed fair to respond in kind. Cracking his neck, Ryunosuke let his body loosen up slightly, dropping into a neutral stance, his reiatsu spilling out of him. And any creature that was in the surrounding area that had been able to match the Shinigami's pressure, found their spines shattering in two.

Ryunosuke's pressure was a calibur above the Shinigami. Of course, the Shinigami would be able to move fine, but it'd be instantly clear to him that he was dealing with a High tier Espada. And Ryunosuke's aura....It was slick, it moved rapidly to cover the nearby area, flooding the ground in a hundred foot radius or so with a silvery substance. Of course, this substance wasn't physical, but it was Ryunosuke's reiatsu in it's purest form, quicksilver like in consistency and color.

Once he'd done this, once he'd given Kubi a slight heads up, he strode up the nearby sand dune to attempt to establish line of sight with the man. The dude was massive, a solid foot taller than Ryunosuke, and much bulkier. He had muscles out the wazoo. To be fair, Ryunosuke wasn't the most monstrous out of the Espada, not by a long shot, but still. Ryunosuke made eye contact with the Shinigami, and gave him a small eyebrow raise. "Fucking shit, dude, what do they feed you people? Do all Shinigamis take steroids as if they were pez, or are you just a roid head?"

With that said, Ryunosuke shrugged, he didn't really care for the answer, and took action. Since they were still a fair distance away from each other, far enough that one would need to use a step technique to cover the entire distance in a single go, he felt that opening with a ranged attack was the wisest decision. A Cero? No, that'd be overkill. Instead, he formed a finger gun by his side, raised his hand pointed at Kubi, and said simply "Bang." 

The Bala that formed and fired would move incredibly quickly between the two individuals. Since Ryunosuke wasn't holding back too much right now, his massive RS would increase the size of the Bala substantially. Instead of just being a fist sized orb, the Bala was closer to a Buick in size, and didn't lose much in the way of speed. Of course, it wouldn't vaporize everything in it's path like his Ceros, but the kinetic destruction would be more than enough. And the pain he suffered from using the technique was basically entirely ignorable, due to just how used to it he was. A slight pull in his wrist, that was all.

Reiatsu: 15950/16000 (-50 Bala x1)

[Deleted]

Hollows started to swarm. Of course, this was something Kubi had predicted. It's the world of the freaking hollows. Of course hollows will swarm. But Kubi was prepared for it. He had expected it. From The look of it, most of the hollows coming were just that; not even Menos of any kind. Which was kind of sad, when you think about it. Here he was, invading their homeworld, enslaving their people, shouting his defiance to the gods for all the world to hear, and all they send is-

Then a reaitsu, powerful but not stifling, poured over the area, killing what hollow he had missed. It was smooth, silky, and even visible, tinting the air silver. And most notably, undeniably Arrancar. "'bout fuckin' time. Y'all are slackin'." The footsteps were audible on the shifting sands, and Kubi turned towards him, his face serious for once. It was an Arrancar alright, but one whom looked surprisingly ... well, human. If it weren't for the aura pouring off of him and the mask fragment just visible next to his ear, Kubi would have tried to hit on him.

As it was, at least he had a sense of humor. "Well, personally, I like t' eat m' Cheerios with some shards of glass. Adds a real crunch to every bite." Kubi couldn't get more teasing if he tried. But the man shrugged; he obviously didn't care about the answer, and Kubi find he liked it that way. He rolled his eyes as he slipped into a low stance, the better to move on sand. It appeared his opponent was going to shoot him with a finger gun. How-

It was a good thing that he was already in a ready stance, because otherwise he wouldn't have been able to flash step in time. As it was, his right foot went numb from the force of the displaced air around the attack. He gave a curse as he came out of the Shunpo, sliding to a stop feet from where he was. He looked like some kind of crazed person, staring at Ryunosuuke with wide eyes and hair covered in sand.

Then a smile split his face as the brief moment of terror passed. "Fuck. You don' mess around, d'ya Silver?" His hand ran through his hair, shaking practically half the desert out of his shaggy locks. "S'pose I shouldn' either then, eh? I get th' feeling you'll kill me if I do." He gave a deep, dark laugh, like two boulders grinding together, then suddenly he was gone, another flash step driving him into combat.

See, most combatants would expect Kubi to appear behind them. Most combatants would appear behind them. But where's the fun in that? He much preferred seeing his opponent face to face. As Kubi came out of the step, his hand would come forward; not in a punch, but to grab the front of his shirt. He would heave then, and send Ryunosuuke flying, a grin on his face.

Remaining Reaitsu: 1,300/1400 [-100]

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

As Ryunosuke let the Bala fly, a smile began to cross his face. He felt good, he felt like he was in the prime of his life. And this fight was only going to make him feel more alive. The Shinigami wasn't just a random punk, he had withstood Ryunosuke's pressure, meaning he was a Vice Captain at the least. And depending on what went down with this Bala, if he survived that, Ryunosuke almost certainly had a good fight ahead of him. And he was just getting started, there was only up to go from here.

Kubi evaded the Bala, but only barely. If Kubi hadn't been in a ready stance, there was a chance that the Bala would've clipped him. So the Shinigami was fast, but the bulk seemed to be costing him in terms of maneuverability. Alright, Ryunosuke could work with that. And then, best of all, the Vice Captain was smiling. A Blood Knight, just the thing that Ryunosuke needed right now. Someone who he could have fun with, and take his time with. He had started the fight to deal with some pent up energy, and that's what he was now able to deal with.

Kubi was giving him the respect that Ryunosuke deserved, and acknowledged that he shouldn't hold back, even for an instant. And the idea of a Shinigami going all out against him excited him. However, given that Kubi's statement wasn't immediately followed by a Shikai release phrase, that killed the mood slightly. Ryunosuke was tempted briefly to activate his Cortar Hierro and rip his foe to shreds for daring to attack him in such a way. But no, he wanted to have fun with this.

Ryunosuke wasn't Kuroi Naito with regards to Battle Analysis, but he was no chump. And when it came to street fighting, unrefined combat, whatever you wanted to call it, there wasn't a single person in the world who understood it better than Ryunosuke. He knew how people used their bodies, and picked up on styles very quickly. And he could tell from Kubi's attitude, from his stance, and from his body, that the man was a straightforward fighter, almost shockingly so, and likely a brawler at heart. 

So the Cuarta Espada wasn't surprised when Kubi showed up in front of him. In fact, he had been expecting it, and moving into a better position to deal with it. Unfortunately, Kubi was relatively faster than him, and significantly so once Shunpo was accounted for. So Ryunosuke didn't have too much time to prepare. Luckily, he didn't need it. The second Kubi began to move, Ryunosuke thrust forward a fist, in a stance that looked vaguely like boxing, albeit somewhat untrained. And his fist would connect with Kubi's hand, which was reaching out.

If Ryunosuke's hand connected, if Kubi didn't somehow abort, or dodge, things would go badly for the Vice Captain. The instant the blow connected, Ryunosuke's reiatsu would flare, and he would utilize one of his signature techniques, Cero Puño, which would unleash a 1600 strength Cero, contained in such a way that it wouldn't just kill Kubi. No, instead the blow would simply blow off his entire arm. See, Ryunosuke had mercy. Or at the very least, he wanted to play, and this is how he chose to do so.


(OOC: If the attack hits, and Cero Puno is used, I'll edit in Cero costs, and mention the drawbacks next posts. Don't worry, haven't forgotten about those)

[Kento Waffles]

+150 TP to Ryunosuke

+100 TP to Kubi

[Deleted]

The fist made Kubi flinch. Not because of the act of reaching out, Kubi wasn't jumpy like that. No, he flinched because he's been on the receiving end of an Arrancar’s Cero before, and it was not a fun experience. He's seen a Cero annihilate an entire city block, and even blast a huge hole in a Seki-Seki wall, which is designed to do exactly the opposite. Each and every time, the Cero was fired from a fist; could you really blame Kubi for being a little scared of making direct contact with what may as well be the firing mechanism of a nuke? For most other fighters, stopping themselves from doing a committed act was nearly impossible; thankfully, Kubi wasn't most Shinigami. His instinct was high and skills were sharp; not to mention he trained his body for this exact purpose.

His body seized, muscles clenching for a moment as he stopped himself from potentially making a huge mistake. His hand stopped no more than an inch from the Arrancar, and Kubi had never been more grateful to his own body. He slid back a good ten feet, sand scattering in his wake. Though his heart beat rapidly in his chest, the smile never wavered. ”What w’s that, a f’ckin’ Cero? Yeah, ain’ gonna fall fer stupid shit li’ tha’. Ain't no way a skinny shit like you gonna try t’ stop me with jus’ your fist.” This might just be his ego talking, of course, but just from a cursory glance Kubi was almost certain that Silver didn't compare physically - and if that was the case, Silver knew it too. No Arrancar as powerful as him gets to that position by remaining ignorant.

”Still, though … s’pose I should give y’ th’ respect y’ deserve, introduce m’self and shit.” He scratched the stubble growing on his chin thoughtfully. ”Yeah … ain't no reason t’ keep holding back. Sides, fer all I know, yer trying t’ stall fer th’ asshole up at th’ palace. Tha’ f’ckin’ monster.” For just a brief second, a shadow passed over his face, obscuring his features. Images passed through his mind; bloody, messy images lesser men would need beer to hold back. A snarl curled his lip upwards as the smug, aristocratic features of Kuroi Naito swam at him out of the darkness. His fists clenched at his side, knuckles turning white from the force. ”Masaki … this guy is the first obstacle to avenge you … I can't afford to wait. Please forgive me for releasing so soon.”

And just as quickly as it had come, it passed, Kubi's smug, unfazed grin pointedly aimed at Silver. ”Anyway, name is Kubi. Kubi Tsuru. And this-” He drew his sword, the shining blue blade, obviously unused, glinting in the low light. ”-is Joo Bachi. Wound, Joo Bachi!” A surge of reishi and the snap of metal, Joo Bachi reforming herself as two gauntlets, flanged by wings and dark blue in color. ”And let's not take any more chances, huh?” On the last word, a green tinge snapped into place around the gauntlets, a swirling starry maelstrom of energy. His grin never diminished as he settled, balancing on the balls of his feet. Despite his relaxed demeanour, every nerve was on high alert. He was ready to flash step; in a second, he could be within his guard.

”So introduce y’self and we can get this show on the road.”

Remaining Reaitsu: 800/1400 [-500]
Shikai posts: 1/10
Mugen no Kokucho posts: 1/10[/color

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Kubi had backed off, like a pansy. Ryunosuke was disappointed. He had assumed that Kubi, given how straightforward a fighter he seemed, didn't possess the energy sensory in order to realize what Ryunosuke was planning. Apparently, he'd been wrong. Kubi froze in front of him, and for an instant, Ryunosuke realized that he could exploit that second of hesitation and blow him out of the water. But he decided against it. This vice-captain was worth wasting time with. Ryunosuke wanted to destroy him.

Ryunosuke did have to chuckle though at the shinigami's shit talking. While he wasn't as large as Kubi, Ryunosuke was plenty strong. He made a mental note to teach the boisterous shinigami that harsh lesson in the not too far future. Then, the prick had the nerve to suggest that Ryunosuke was just stalling him, waiting on...Adalo? Kuroi? Myza? Kouhai? Guujin? Fucking shinigami weren't specific enough. It's like they didn't even realize how many people in Hueco Mundo qualified as monsters.

Ryunosuke didn't, however. He was a badass, he was terrifying, but he wasn't really a monster. He looked too human, fought too human, lacked the ability to become a monster at the drop of a hat with a release. He had to content himself with the overwhelming power he possessed instead. The Shinigami flicked his sword, switching it into two gauntlets. Joo Bachi, huh? Literally just augmenting his melee power more. Ryu was beginning to suspect that this guy liked hitting things with his hands or something.

Introduce himself? Ryunosuke smiled. "I suppose it's only fair you don't know me, I am something of a new force. My name is Hidan Mucaro, formerly Kento Kawada. I am the Sexta Espada, and I'll be your opponent today." Bullshit, and unless he was really goddamn stupid, Kubi would know it, but it sent the point that Ryu wanted it to send: you aren't interesting enough to deserve my name, I don't need to tell you jack shit.

Then, as it became clear that Kubi had no intention to go on the offense yet, Ryunosuke didn't move. Or rather, since Kubi had less than 400 senses, that's how it would appear to him. In reality, Ryunosuke used Sin Sonido, a technique which proved next to impossible to track the movements of, to shift position from where he was standing, to a few feet behind Kubi, the movement and sound untrackable by Kubi. By the time Kubi had realized what was wrong, he would already be hit in the shoulder by something moving twice as fast as a Bala.

The Arrancar King's Bala, a trick invented by Adalo that Ryunosuke was quite fond of. A third the power of a normal Bala, it would slam Kubi in the shoulder and knock him off balance, maybe send him flying a little, depending. A third the power of a Bala was still, when chucked by Ryu, dangerous as shit. But that wasn't the funny part. Due to the way Kubi's skills were set, as he flew, he'd start vomiting uncontrollably, nauseated by Adalo's specialty Bala. 

Hopefully, that'd knock Kubi down a few notches. Of course, this barrage wasn't entirely free for Ryunosuke. It had hurt a bit, similar to accidentally elbowing a wooden table, sending a weird and uncomfortable feeling up his arm. But pain was something Ryunosuke was used to, and this was nothing special.

Reiatsu: 15750/16000 (-50 Arrancar King's Bala, -150 Sin Sonido)

[Shiwa Kuradesu]

Oh, horseshit.

It was a real struggle to not roll his eyes. There wasn't a Shinigami alive, except maybe the newer, lazier graduates, who didn't know who Kenryoku was. He was one of the most celebrated and infamous Shinigami of recent times; hell, half the reason so many people knew his face was because they learned it specifically to know who to avoid. (This was pure speculation on behalf of the vice-captain, but he liked to entertain the idea nevertheless. Kenryoku was one scary dude.) Another Shinigami would, perhaps, grow angry at the misuse of such a legendary figures name, or maybe scoff and call “Hideo” on his bluff. Even more wouldn't say anything at all and just attack him; they were fun like that. But Kubi, ever against the norm, decided to go with it.

”Kawada, huh? Y’know, we have some Kawada back in th’ Soul Society. Really serious lot. Only time they take th’ stick outta there ass is t’ polish it. Obsessed with appearance and all.” A legitimate grin crossed his face. He actually found this Arrancar funny, which was surprising all on its own. In another life, they could even be friends. ”So no relation. Y’ too funny fer that.” It was no empty compliment, Kubi legitimately liked the Espada. Which made what had to come next even worse, in a way. If “Kenryoku” hadn't stood in his way, they could have had a great relationship.

But then “Kenryoku” disappeared, and for a second Kubi was left wondering of he was wrong. The Kawada family certainly has a penchant for speed, and this Arrancar certainly had that in spades. But he didn't have time to contemplate what may very be an exciting revelation as a powerfully painful attack took him in the right shoulder from behind. It was the surprise and the sudden lurching of his stomach, causing him to heave up the remainder of his lunch, that forced him to his knees, coloring the sands with his bile. While strong and definitely painful - Kubi’s arm felt like death - it wouldn't do any permanent damage, only some admittedly severe bruising. A second round of vomiting splattered the ground, Kubi wiping his mouth viciously. ”Ah, fuck.” He shook off the effects of the technique, though his stomach was still doing flips. ”That,” He pointed an accusing finger at “Kenryoku". ”was jus’ unfair. I'm startin’ t’ think y’ don’ like me.”

Kubi was loving this. A real, true fight was what he's wanted in forever. The simmering anger, boiling just below the surface, a constant, rippling wave that colored his every interaction needed a release, and fighting was the ultimate stress reliever - and equalizer. Everybody looked the same with their skull smashed in. ” Kenny, I'm gonna fuck y’ up like a potato in yer chest.” And like a bullet he was off. Not with a shunpo, not yet, but running. Behind him a trail of sand kicked up, marking his tail but he was through being stealthy. Brown eyes were burning with the light of battle, lips curved in a wicked grin at the concept of battle. As light as a butterfly, dangerous as a jaguar, he closed on Kenny.

His right fist shot out in a quick rabbit punch, aimed at his nose, while his right hooked around, aiming to come down on his rib cage. They were perfectly timed and executed, though without the disciplined stance and structure that came with formal training. He was a brawler, no style to speak of, preferring to blast through his opponents with overwhelming force. If either strike hit, the fight would pretty much be over; the punch to his nose, due to the shockwave released from Joo Bachi, would utterly destroy his brain and most of the internal structure of his upper body, while the blow to his upper body would accomplish much the same, though his brain would escape such severe damage.

Shikai Posts: 2/10
Mugen no Kokucho posts: 2/10

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Compliments, sarcastic remarks about him clearly lying, as well as quips in response to Ryunosuke making him vomit his guts out. This Shinigami was likable. Ryunosuke was still going to kick his ass and leave him for the dead in Hueco Mundo, but at least he liked him. But he didn't like him enough to let him ruin Ryunosuke's shoes. When Kubi dropped to his knees, Ryunosuke immediately shifted backwards, his 400 speed carrying him several yards away in the few seconds it took Kubi to evacuate his stomach contents.

God, that felt awful. But the act of throwing up would likely put Kubi off, and even though Ryunosuke didn't capitalize on it, it had given him an opportunity that he could have, if he wanted to, taken to blow Kubi's head off. Importantly, it showed Kubi who was in charge here. Or at least that was hypothetically what had happened. Instead, Kubi hadn't seemed very put off. In fact, as Kubi rose, it was obvious from his stance that he was going to continue to fight, and take it back up close and personal.

And honestly? Ryunosuke was hesitant to let him. Kubi was a big guy, and although Ryunosuke was strong, and could beat him in a game of Cero assisted Bloody Knuckles, he didn't like the odds of winning a fist fight with Kubi. Not with those shikai gauntlets. Ryunosuke didn't know what they did, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't want to be hit by them, judging by common sense. So he needed to win the distance game. He had this fight if it stuck ot midrange or long range, no question. He probably would also win close combat, but it did introduce an element of vulnerability that he wasn't comfortable with.

He needed to be prepared for speed though, if Kubi was the type of physical fighter Ryunosuke expected that he'd be. Ryunosuke activated Pesquis as Kubi threatened him, prepared to track the Vice Captain's movements. The radar pulse of reiatsu came with a burning pain in Ryunosuke's eyes which made him feel like he was about to shoot lasers from them. Not fun, but also not incapacitating. And the extra sense that he picked up was well worth it. 

Kubi burst into motion, and even without Pesquis, Ryunosuke would've been able to track him. Kubi wasn't actually that much faster than Ryunosuke, not without using a step technique, which was a little surprising. He closed the gap at a reasonable rate, preparing to go for a one-two punch at Ryunosuke that probably would've hurt. But as Kubi moved, Ryunosuke also did, gently shifitng his weight to be on the balls of his feet. Then, then Kubi was a short distance away, Ryunosuke acted. 

A Cero roared forth from Ryunosuke's feet, launching him into the air, as well as sending up a cloud of dust to blind Kubi. The heat of the explosion would sear Kubi's front, but at this distance, with only a class 6 Cero, it wasn't likely to severely hurt him. It'd hurt, and distract, but not damage in a long term, meaningful way. What happened next would though. Ryunosuke was now solidly flying upwards in the air, and quickly aligned himself, his right hand extending, a smile on his face.

Another Cero, this one much more powerful, exploded from Ryunosuke's hand and oblitterated the dust cloud as well as a large area around it, glassing the sand in an instant. A Class 4 Cero, with 1600 reaitsu strength behind it, was enough to actually threaten a large number of Captains of Soul Society or Espada of Hueco Mundo. Kubi enduring it would be a shock. And the speed at which it was launched was faster than Kubi would have ever witnessed before, as Ryunosuke had the fastest Cero charge speed of any Espada. 

Then, and only then, did Ryunosuke take the time to gloat, his upward momentum still lifting him further and further above the blast zone. "Boom goes the dynamite!" He explaimed, a glee in his voice that would demoralize anyone who just witnessed the explosion. He loved his job, and was damn good at it. If Kubi had survived that, it wasn't going to have been easily, and it wasn't going to be in a way that made it impossible for Ryunosuke to pressure him out. This fight was going just as planned.

Reiatsu: 15400/16000 (-100 Pesquis, -50 Moon Step Cero, -200 Cero)

[Kazura Uzaki]

+150 more TTP to Ryu
+0 more TTP to Kubi for this thread dying twice.

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

How did you know I wanted TTP? 0.o Mindreader

[Kazura Uzaki]

I dunno. I don't remember grading it either. Must have counted paragraphs in my sleep or something. -shrug-