Light 'Em Up [PG-13, NDE]

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Thread Title: Light 'Em Up
Participants: Col Arana, Ryunosuke Hamada
World: Hueco Mundo
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: PG-13
Location: In the Menos Forest, although still quite far from the Escudo base itself. A lovely clearing, and the light that filters through the canopy does a fair job illuminating the situation.
Special Conditions: None
Circumstances: Ryunosuke Hamada, Cuarta Espada, acquired intel regarding the location of the Escudo basel. Without informing his superiors, he went off on a solo mission, in order to try and eliminate the threat once and for all. Unfortunately for him, he isn't seen as a threat by the one remaining Escudo, Col Arana:

He's seen as a meal.

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

He was on a warpath, heading straight for the greatest combat that he'd ever engaged in thus far in his life. Yes, he'd fought quite a few potent individuals during his time as a hollow, but since he had become the Cuarta, he had very few opportunities to fight real monsters. And right now, he was hunting down one of the most terrifying foes that he could ever have hoped to face. Yes, Ryunosuke was hunting down the Escudo, the rebel faction within Hueco Mundo.

And ideally, he'd find a Zarpa to fight. Zarpa's were strong, roughly as strong as two Espada, but Ryunosuke was fueled with rage beyond what he'd felt before. It was as if he was channeling the spirit of something greater than himself, something that drove him to destruction, and anarchy, with Fall Out Boy blasting in the background to the beat of the murder. Ryunosuke knew that the Escudo had a base somewhere in the Menos Forest, he had received the information from a reliable, anonymous source.

But the issue was that he didn't know where they were located within the Forest, so he was mostly just stumbling around and hoping for the best. Of course, his energy sensory gave him a heads up when people stumble into the nearby radius, but still that didn't change the feeling of dread at the prospect of being ambushed. He was ready to fight just about anyone right now, unless he met one of the leaders of the organization, and that more or less overrode any fear.

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

[Col Arana]

The Forest of the Menos made for an effective hunting ground. Menos were colossal beasts, and although their power paled in comparison to those of the Escudo it was greater than that of an ordinary Hollow. Col therefore found the forest a perfect place to pick up a meal. He had not, however, anticipated the arrival of another through the forest. Not one of this level of power anyways. Col could tell in an instant that the forest's newest visitor was an arrancar like himself. And, like himself, he sensed in this one, immense power. A power that radiated out for miles around, how could it possibly even be missed? The Escudo grinned at the thought of so satisfying a meal, but quickly suppressed this thought. No. He chided himself. Not a meal, fool. It was to be a source of power. Yes. More dignified than the idea of partaking in vicious cannibalism. Regardless though, that power was about to slip away if he did not catch it.

Under the cover of shadow, Col began to slip closer to the power source, using his skills at stealth to creep through the darkness of the forest. Closer, and close to his prey he came, if his senses did not deceive him. As Col neared, he recognized the possibility his foe may sense him. That was unfortunate. It ruined the element of surprise. However. With such power often came arrogance. That went both ways. It had become uncommonly well... common, for one of great power and pride to come out and issue a formal challenge nowadays. Col did not adhere to such foolish prospects. No, if you could slay your foe before he knew you were attacking, that was the definition of a complete victory, even if he didn't know you were there. Some foes, of course, could have pinpointed Col's location by his reiatsu alone. He hoped this was not one of those people.

The spider-arrancar scaled a massive tree, and finally, through the gloom, his mark came into view. It was indeed an arrancar. The power emanated from him like a shroud. It was intoxicating. As though Col could taste his succulent flesh just by observing him. How to attack him though. This one would be difficult to take unawares. Col pondered the possibility of him sensing his presence. Col knew his reiatsu was immense, and could be detected. It was probably better to assume that his enemy had indeed detected the spider's presence. He'd know the direction Col was coming from. Using the trees and shadows for cover, Col flitted about-- little more than a phantom, until at last, he had circled around Ryunosuke's position to the other side. Well. If he defended at this point that was that. Col unsheathed his blade-- Tarentella. A moonbeam in the darkness. A glimmering strand of silk, drawn taut.

Then he struck.

In a burst of speed, Col burst from the shadows at his foe's back, with a powerful two handed sweep of his sword, designed to split Ryunosuke in two with a single blow. Col was not the mightiest power duelist in Hueco Mundo, but his Tarentella was sharp and strong, and a direct hit, with sufficient penetration could easily accomplish this task if it was not checked or evaded-- or at least mitigated.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Abilities}
[Strength: 300 (100)



Speed: 400



Reiatsu Strength: 400 (1400)



Spirit Pressure: 340



Light Aura: 0



Dark Aura: 100



Senses: 150



Instincts: 390 (130)



Energy Sensory: 120 (420)



Healing Expertise: 100 (33)



Total: 2200]

Skill Points:
Martial Arts: Blades: 3
Martial Arts: Wing Chun: 2
Special Skill: Climbing: 3
Stealth: 2
Battle Analysis: 3
Analysis: 2

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

(OOC: Sorry for taking a bit to post, I've been swamped with work, and lost my post the last time I tried to reply)

In the dense undergrowth of the Menos Forest, normal senses weren't as useful. Of course, Ryunosuke had the senses of a wild animal, and the focus and precision to back that up, but that didn't fix the primary issue of preventing him from getting ambushed. Which is why he was so glad that he had potent energy sensory capabilities. With Ryunosuke's energy sensory, he could determine the position of all spiritual beings within about three quarters of a mile, within a relatively small margin of error.

When Col Arana first entered the radius of Ryunosuke's sensory, a shiver ran up the Cuata's spine. Not a shiver of fear, which would be a perfectly reasonable and rational reaction to the presence of such a potent foe, but a shiver of excitement. Col's reiatsu was potent, with a heavy kick to it, and feeling it wash over him woke Ryunosuke up. If Ryunosuke had just slightly more energy sensory, he could've determined more about his foe, but at the present moment that wasn't crucial.

Now, while many individuals would've waited until Col revealed himself, or demanded that he do so, Ryunosuke didn't. It was a stupid idea, and a pointless one. Ryunosuke was a hitman in life, one of the best in the world, and you know what they say about old habits. Ryunosuke always went for surprise attacks, and always assumed that his foes would as well, unless they were gigantic idiots (see also: the vast majority of powerful fighters in the three worlds).

And so instead of doing so, Ryunosuke just stayed in place, slowly moving his head one way, then the other, as if scanning the treeline. In reality, he was keeping tabs on Col using his energy sensory, which acted as 360º radar, he didn't need to look at Col to tell where the Arrancar was going to attack from. Of course, Ryunosuke was a pretty shitty actor, this bluff wouldn't be impossible to read, but would that matter? It wasn't a trap in the direct sense: he just intended to meet his foe head on.

Ryunosuke waited until Col was aligned directly behind him, and slowly drew his hands out of his pockets, letting them hang loose at his sides. Then, just as Col burst into motion, Ryunosuke did as well. He turned to face his foe, and as he turned, his hands caught onto something, something not in this world, and pulled it into existence, ignoring the slight twinge of pain that went through his hands as he did so. By the time Ryunosuke had turned around, in his hands was a longsword, about forty inches long, with a black hilt and a blade that looked like Ryunosuke's quicksilver reiatsu, turned solid.

This sword was a manifestation of Ryunosuke's power Solid: Armory, and it was as strong as spiritual steel, giving it a durability and cutting power equal to his reiatsu. In addition, although Ryunosuke had no formal training with swords, the fact that the sword was an extension of his unique reiatsu, and the nature of his fighting style, allowed him to wield it as if he had master level experience (With a Street Fighting of 4, he can treat it as a 3 in any weapon he creates). 

Ryunosuke met Col's own blade in a head on clash. Since Col was attempting to split him in half, Ryunosuke blocked the blade directly at the middle of the swing, at the middle of the blade. And Col's sword would stop there. Although Col was strong, he was about as strong as a body builder, or an ordinary human. And Ryunosuke was far from that. Ryunosuke's strength was enough to shatter concrete, to leap over some small buildings, to send people flying thirty feet backwards when he struck them. Col trying to pressure him was like Arnold Schwarzenegger getting into an arm wrestling competition with a Steamroller.

As the two blades locked, Ryunosuke didn't waste a second. Since Col was using his sword two handed, and his sword was safely dealt with, Ryunosuke could apply some counter pressure. Within the moment that the swords clashed, Ryunosuke's foot lashed out, delivering a brutal kick to Col's left kneecap. The force exerted was fairly potent, and if Col just decided to let Ryunosuke connect, it'd end badly for him. Especially given Ryunosuke's Cero Puno technique. Col couldn't afford to tank this attack.


Sword Duration: 1/4 Posts
Remaining Reiatsu: 15850/16000 (-150 for Class 4 Armory)

[Col Arana]

His foe had turned abruptly. He was aware of Col's presence, and spun to block Col's blow, at the center of both blades. Unfortunate, Col observed, but his face did not show his discontent. Indeed, his face was as close to neutral as could be possible. A veritable poker face. To Ryunosuke's eyes it would be hard to tell if Col was simply hiding his surprise at the defense, whether he had expected it, whether he was impressed, or whether Ryunosuke was only meeting his expectations. It was a good poker face that betrayed nothing. Col's measure was perfect-- the mark of an excellent swordsman. In truth, Ryunosuke's defense was neither expected nor unexpected. Col had considered the possibility, and had merely waited to see how it would play out. As he threw a kick, Col, merely voided the leg, stepping back and Ryunosuke's blow sweeping through nothing but air. As he stepped back, Col added in a quick triangle step, to adjust his angle, now coming at Ryunosuke from his left side. Having regained proper measure now, Col drew back his sword into tail guard and slashed diagonally upwards at Ryunosuke, aiming to slash him from hip to shoulder.

Col had yet to speak. This was the preliminary testing. Little more than a warm-up an opening intended to assess his opponent's abilities, and let his opponent think he could assess Col's. At present, Col was using relatively textbook European swordfighting techniques. Unusual and unorthodox for most arrancar who favored more Eastern-style fighting techniques, but to Col they were rudimentry and basic. To draw in an opponent into thinking this was his preferred form of fighting and then to diversify was part of Col's game plan. Of course, if fighting by the manual was enough to dispatch his opponent then that was well and good too. As he completed his upwards slash, Col immediately transitioned into a plow guard, on the side of his body that matched the position of Ryunosuke's sword, and initiated a sudden thrust forwards directly at Ryunosuke's face, accompanied by a single advancing step. How would his opponent react? Would he smack Col's sword aside in a parry? Or would he attempt to sidestep the blow?

There was also his opponent's own weapon to consider. A sword forged of reiatsu? Granted, it wasn't too unusual. Col had one of those himself. Actually, he had six of them, concealed inside of his black trenchcoat-- two on either side of the lapels of his coat, and one inside each of his sleeves. Well. Plasma blades. Not truly a sword of reiatsu. Still, that did not entirely surprise Col. But he was curious about the weapons' properties. Was it simply a sword of reiatsu? Or did it have other powers? Could it become intangible? Could it shoot Cero or Bala from it? Maybe it exploded on command? Col expected he would have to be wary of such a weapon.

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

(OOC: And a month later, I'm finally back. Sorry to keep you waiting.)

As the blades clashed, a smile would flicker across Ryunosuke's face. His foe didn't react to the failed surprise attack, but it still gave Ryunosuke a small degree of pleasure to have his paranoia pay off. Now, the real question was whether or not Ryunosuke blocking was part of his foe's calculations, which would be bad for Ryunosuke in the long run if it was true. For the present moment however, Ryunosuke was inclined to just keep brawling, and hoping for the best case scenario.

Ryunosuke's kick was evaded, and his initial instinct was the press the attack, so that he could keep Col off balance. However, there were issues associated with that, and the fluidity of Col's motions made Ryunosuke reluctant to do anything reckless yet. So after he lashed out with the kick, he quickly shifted his balance and brought his foot back. The two were evenly matched in speed, so the split second likely wouldn't be long enough to give Col a significant opening.

But the Zarpa clearly didn't need an opening, as he quickly moved and swung to attack Ryunosuke from his left side. The attack was a simple diagonal cut, and the way that the Zarpa used the sword reminded Ryunosuke of medieval combat movies. Instead of moving his sword to block however, Ryunosuke let his left hand drift off of the longsword, and his right hand pick up the slack. His grip would be slightly awkward, but he had the raw strength to handle it easily.

His left hand moved rapidly, and was outstretched in Col's direction a few moments before the sword struck Ryunosuke. Normally, that wouldn't be enough time to react with any Cero or Bala, due to charge times. But Ryunosuke was an expert in the realm of Ceros, and had effectively no charge time. As Col's sword was inches away from Ryunosuke's skin, a blast of quicksilver light ripped forth from Ryunosuke's outstretched hand, and obliterated the area to the left of him.

The beam was massive, easily the size of an apartment complex, because Ryunosuke wasn't holding back. How could he? He was fighting one of the strongest entities in Hueco Mundo. The blast would burn the air, and rip apart the Menos forest, carving a messy hole through the entire forest, at least the entire forest to the left side of Ryunosuke. Although he'd be surprised if the Arrancar was hit by that attack, if he was, he would almost certain die. Or at least be very badly injured. 

But realistically, Col Arana wouldn't be hit. Col would dodge, although he'd be forced to abandon the attack. And Ryunosuke, now that he'd launched the attack, would quickly regain his grip on the sword, and adjust his stance. His sensory capabilities would allow him to track Col, even if his foe hid after the devastating attack, and be ready for his foe to pounce again. His body felt like it was being pricked with needles in a thousand places at once, even with his Pain Tolerance, which was a nuisance, but ultimately little more than a distraction. 

Now, once again, the ball was in Col's court. Ryunosuke had turned away one of his attacks, regardless of the rest of the ones that he'd been planning to follow up with after it, and disrupted his attack patterns. Ryunosuke didn't like being toyed with, although at this point he was uncertain if that's what Col was doing. Maybe the other Arrancar was just weaker than he'd been expecting. Regardless, Col would have to take the fight slightly more serious now.

Sword Duration: 2/4 Posts
Remaining Reiatsu: 15650/16000 (-200 for a Class 4 Cero)

[Col Arana]

(ooc: Aiyaaaaaaaaaa. I completely forgot this thread existed! I'm so sorry!)

Col's eyes widened in shock. A Cero!? How can he--[/color] Before the blast enveloped his form. However, an instant later, Ryunosuke would, in all likelihood, experience a sharp pain. Col had been taken quite by surprise by the speed of Ryunosuke's Cero. Its size was also shocking, but considerably less surprising, given the man's power. It was the charge speed of the attack. Charged and unleashed in a split second. Were Col aware of this ability beforehand, perhaps he could have dodged it. As it was, his keen skills at detecting the flow of reiatsu in his foe alerted him to the danger at the last possible second. It wasn't enough to avoid the attack completely though. Col knew that with the size of his opponent's blast, evading to the side or above or below was fruitless. He broke off his attack and charged past Ryunosuke in a sudden burst of speed. Just quick enough to avoid a direct hit. Nonetheless, his right arm was caught in the blast below the elbow. It was not completely destroyed, as a lesser arrancar's might have been. But the damage was severe. It resembled a blackened charred husk now-- only barely usable.

Col was driven by rage now, and as he hurtled past Ryunosuke to avoid the Espada's Cero, his left hand dropped with his zanpakuto, driving a swift, backhanded slash across the man's midsection. Not as deep as his initial blows had been, but the wound it created would indeed be serious. Col spun about, ideally facing his foe's back. But he did not immediately follow up. That Cero had been surprising indeed! He would not be caught off guard by it again but it was a costly price to pay for this information. His right arm was badly injured. But it could still be used. Gripping his Espada Ropera in both hands, Col felt a burning pain race up his right arm. Tch.[/color] That was annoying. His eyes burned into Ryunosuke's back, before his right hand lifted from the hilt of his sword. Col's Cero were not as fast to charge as Ryunosuke's. But they were very nearly as powerful and large. A blue orb formed at the tip of a burnt finger and from it a Cero almost as colossal as the Cuarta's own exploded out at him at close range.

He hurt me! He HURT me!? Within his own mind Col raged in a silent fury. I will suck the marrow from his bones, and pull his heart from his chest as he watches! You will not die slowly you scum! He hissed in his own mind. Ryunosuke had made him mad. A standard approach wouldn't work, and Col knew his Cero would not kill the man. But it might still injure him. He would press the offensive, keeping close to avoid future Cero. He now knew how fast they could be charged up. He could use that knowledge and avoid them. His senses were keen and focused. He was Col Arana of the Zarpa! He was invincible!

Reiatsu Remaining: 3200/3400 (-200 for Cero)

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

First blood had gone to Ryunosuke, and that was a trend that was going to continue for the rest of the fight, at least if everything went as planned. Col Arana was powerful, no doubt, and most likely could've given any of the top 4 Espada a run for their moneys. But ultimately, Ryunosuke didn't play nice, and his overwhelming spiritual capabilities made fighting him an absolute fucking nightmare for anyone, and Col Arana was no exception. Although, Ryunosuke knew not to get too cocky, or else he'd get eaten alive.

Ryunosuke had managed to clip Col, and effectively remove one of his arms from play, keeping him from using that two handed style of sword wielding that would have allowed him to stand equal footing to Ryunosuke's immense strength. Although the arm wasn't totally burned off, it was charred to a crisp, and likely wouldn't be easily usable. As Col continued on to slash at Ryunosuke, his sword skipped along the Cuarta's hierro. Unfortunately, the difference in spiritual powers was just too sizable for the former Escudo to cut Ryunosuke's skin. A noble effort, nonetheless.

As Col moved behind Ryunosuke, Ryunosuke rotated to follow him, tracking his foes movement. Arana didn't follow the attack up instantly, showing that he was at least slightly warey of Ryunosuke. A smile spread across Ryunosuke's face, his mouth opening up to show his teeth. "I love my food being cooked to a fucking crisp. I wonder how you'll taste." Realistically, Ryunosuke didn't intend on eating Arana, that would be absolutely disgusting. But psyching out his foe was a good idea. 

And then, he saw the Blue Orb. Shit. The Cero roared out from Col's finger, despite it being burnt to a crisp. Col's reiatsu strength, while not as big as Ryunosuke's, was still massive, and the Cero he launched would've been capable of destroying a great deal of the forest, or even potentially hurting Ryunosuke. That is, if it had successfully launched. However, as the Cero burst from Col's finger, Ryunosuke inhaled, coating the insides with reiatsu, and utilizing the technique called Consume.

The entire Cero vanished into Ryunosuke's mouth, and he calmly swallowed. "Absolutely fucking delicious." His own reiatsu subjugated the former Escudo's, and rendered it inert within him. Col's attack vanished entirely, with no visible harm to Ryunosuke. In fact, Ryunosuke had gained reiatsu from devouring the technique, although there was the pain. Ryunosuke's body was unstable, and using a technique that powerful hurt him. He was amazing at pain tolerance, he developed it over the years, but it still hurt. It felt like someone was ripping the skin off of his arms.

But Ryunosuke ignored the pain, and channeled it into bravado. He nodded his head at Col, a shit eating grin on his face. "Your reiatsu tastes amazing. Want to give me another goddamn meal?" He wanted to see Col crack, he wanted to split his mind open. And if he did that, then killing the Arrancar would be even easier. Ryunosuke twirled his sword, reverting it back to a one handed grip, and pricked his right hand, only slightly on the palm, so that blood would start to well up on it. "Figured I should even things up slightly. We can pretend that this was a wound you inflicted." He winked at his foe.

Reiatsu: 15700/16000 (+50 for eating a Cero)

[Col Arana]

What an infuriating man. Col hissed in his mind. His blade hadn't managed to pierce the other man's Hierro!? How strong was his reiatsu!? Col had known it was strong, but he hadn't thought it would be that strong. Not strong enough to stop Tarentella's blade. And he had just eaten his Cero. Col's rage was boiling in his veins, but he suppressed it for now. Barely. He saw a twinge of pain pass through the man's face, and his advanced energy sensory abilities told him why. His reiatsu was unstable. No... unstable wasn't quite the right word. More likely his power was too great for his body to adequately contain. This thought managed to calm the fuming Zarpa. I'm going to enjoy killing you.... Col saw that Ryunosuke had pricked his palm. Did he think him a fool? That Col did not know of the move known to all Espada? The Gran Rey Cero? Well. Col would let him think him a fool then, and tear him limb from limb. There was one last trick he had up his sleeve.

"I assure you, friend, I will give you more than you can stomach." Col answered him with mincing politeness, though his eyes flashed with unspoken rage. He slid Tarentella into its sheath. The two handed sword was of no use to him at the moment. Then he flew forwards at Ryunosuke. Though Col disdained it, he was experienced at hand to hand combat. Perhaps that was what he was doing. The Zarpa lashed out with his good arm in a swift unarmed strike, at the side of Ryunosuke's neck. A head on attack, true, but he was wary for a potential counter from Ryunosuke, both from either Cero, or from his blade. Or even his body. Whatever Ryunosuke tried, Col would be ready now. He would not catch him off guard again. Col was frustrated, but not beaten. He had several tricks more up his sleeve, that he could employ to even the scales against his enemy. Three in fact. Each one guaranteed to give Ryunosuke at least as much a surprise as the Espada had given him with his speed-charging Cero.

Col very much doubted, afterall, that Ryunosuke knew that Zarpa were capable of using the shinigami art of kido. Col was well versed in the craft, specializing in binding spells-- though he was familiar with Hado spells as well. He had to keep those in reserve though. For the moment they would be most effective, for the instant he cast either spell-- Bakudo OR Hado, he expected his opponent would know to expect the others. And then there were his plasma blades. Col had six of them concealed on his person. Unlike his Espada Ropera, he could use the plasma blades one handed. He had one up each of his sleeves, quite literally. Easily procured at a moments notice. And of course, he could always fall back on his release if he really had to. But he would much prefer not to, until he had gained an advantage over his foe. It would not be much sport otherwise.

Reiatsu remaining: 3200/3400

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Alright, so, Arana was quipping back. That was good. Meant that he still had a degree of hope, meaning that Ryunosuke had more time to crush that. And crush it he intended to. Col had struck him as someone who valued an artful fighting style, so Ryunosuke intended to take his arms. He'd already almost destroyed one with a Cero that his foe hadn't seen coming. And now, in the upcoming brawl (because it seemed like that was where the fight was going), Ryunosuke intended to destroy the man's other arm.

Ryunosuke let his sword fall out of his hands as Col sheathed his own, and it rapidly crumbled into reiatsu as it left his hands. Of course, that wasn't what Ryunosuke's swords normally did, unless he terminated them, but it was a preparatory bluff. Col would see that, and assume that Ryunosuke's weapons vanished when they left his hands, which wasn't the truth. It was a small bluff, and might be missed, but Ryunosuke lied naturally, and this was a lie that took no effort, and had an immense possible payoff.

"Bring it on, Escudo." Ryunosuke spat the word out like it was a curse, and adjusted his stance slightly. The other Arrancar flew towards him, blurring into motion, but Ryunosuke was capable of keeping up. After all, they were the same speed, and Ryunosuke understood combat on an intuitive level that most couldn't possibly comprehending, especially in brawling. The Zarpa threw a punch, and Ryunosuke responded head on, an allegedly honest response to an allegedly honest attack.

If Col wanted to do a punch fight, Ryunosuke had no problem with that. He was going to play bloody knuckles with the Zarpa, and there was no way that Col could hold his own. Ryunosuke countered the fist that was being flung in his direction with a simple response: by punching the Escudo's hand, fist to fist. Col was strong, sure, but he was like a peak, athletic human. Ryunosuke was in a totally different category: he could probably stop a bulldozer. If their fists collided, Col's hand would end up shattered, and badly.

And as if that wasn't enough, if Col didn't move in time, Ryunosuke would blow off his arm. Ryunosuke was a master of the technique known as Cero Puño, which allowed him to augment his punches with the force of a Cero. The technique would only activate if Col didn't have a trick up his sleeve, but if it did, and Ryunosuke managed to punch the Zarpa's fist, then a Cero would split the Zarpa's arm down the middle, destroying his only good arm left. And then, maybe Ryunosuke would consider ending his foe's life, once he was truly defeated.

(OOC: I'll pay the reiatsu costs in my next post if the punch hits)

[Col Arana]

And so he takes the bait. Col thought, seeing Ryunosuke challenge him with his own counter-strike. Col was talented at hand to hand combat, but it was a last resort. It was for when Col had no other options besides fighting with his fists. Wing Chun was a sophisticated enough fighting style, but the very idea of fisticuffs was distasteful to the Zarpa. This blow had not at all been intended to strike Ryunosuke. It had been intended to draw out an answer from him. And he had not disappointed Col at all. That he had tossed his weapon aside, instead of intercepting Col's attack with it said one of two things to Col in that instant. One: That he was extremely confident as to his abilities in a hand to hand fight. Or two: That he had some trick up his sleeve. Perhaps another cero. Perhaps a bala. Perhaps something new altogether. Regardless, it affirmed to Col that it would not be wise to fight this man. He had already felt his strength firsthand in any case, and if he could not break his Hierro, fighting so close was not advantageous.

So it was, that as Ryunosuke launched his counterattack, Col broke off his initial attack. Wing Chun was a curious martial art in that the user could break off an attack at any point and shift into a new one. Some other martial arts criticized the form for its lack of commitment but it was that lack of commitment that saved Col's good hand right now. It was because of that lack of commitment that as Ryunosuke threw his counterblow, Col's fist suddenly broke off the attack, and the Zarpa shifted to the side. Col's hand dropped, Ryunosuke's fist passing through the air-- arm fully extended now. Excellent. Col thought, his eyes glimmering in the dark of the forest.

The was a sudden flash of red. The hand that had broken off the punch now suddenly was holding a metal cylinder, about the side of a one-handed sword hilt. From that hilt, a steady, glowing blade of plasma burned, and in the instant it had ignited, Col had slashed an undercut through Ryunosuke's extended arm, targeting the limb near the bicep, where it would be hardest to maneuver out of the way. If his Zanpakuto didn't work, perhaps the plasma blade would bear better results. Attacking was better than simply deciding it was hopeless. He would gauge the results of this slash to see how his plasma blades fared.

But where had the sword come from? That was the question, that was likely in Ryunosuke's mind. It was unlikely Ryunosuke would have even been aware of the blade until Col was slashing with it. This was because Col quite literally had kept a trick up his sleeve. Each of his sleeves concealed one of his plasma blades, allowing him to easily let them slip forwards into his hand with the slightest shift of his arm. Some people used concealed knives. Or a concealed pistol. Concealed throwing darts, shuriken,clubs, or what have you. But this was probably the first time Ryunosuke had seen someone using a concealed sword. And Col meant to use this fact to his advantage.

Because the fact that Col had suddenly just procured a sith lightsaber out of nowhere was not just to attack Ryunosuke. It was to draw the man's focus to his new weapon, instead of his charred arm. "Hado #4. Byakurai." Col intoned softly. A crackling bolt of white lightning erupted from his burnt hand at close range. Byakurai was not a particularly powerful hado spell, but it was fast. At this close range, Col may as well have shot a Bala, but Byakurai was quite adept at piercing through a target. A bala might have been shrugged off, but he suspected that this would leave more of a mark, when the lightning blasted through Ryunosuke and out the other side. Or so Col hoped anyways. But although he was on the attack, he was not careless. He had countered Ryunosuke, and knew that Ryunosuke could return the favor. The man's Cero's were tremendously powerful. And who knows what other tricks he had up his sleeve. He seemed to be able to make swords out of nothing. So Col was not naive to the possibility that Ryunosuke could respond to his plasma blade's surprise appearance with the exact same answer. He was not particularly interested in losing his good arm, and so despite his aggression, Col was well prepared to answer Ryunosuke's counterattack, should he have one in mind.

Reiatsu Remaining: 3175/3400 (-25 for Byakurai)

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Fuck, he shouldn’t have committed like that. He should’ve realized it was a bait. But as Col side stepped the punch, Ryunosuke realized that he wouldn’t be able to jerk out of the way in time to dodge the slash. His footwork was aggressive, meaning that he couldn’t just Sonido out of the way. He could teleport, but showing his hand like that would end badly. And then he realized exactly what he needed to do, and let his reiatsu flow to his feet, as the plasma blade neared his arm.

Col would see the surge of energy for only a moment before it erupted from Ryunosuke’s feet, launching the Cuarta into the air. The technique was one known as Moon Step Cero, and it was tragically underused in Hueco Mundo. Honestly speaking, Ryunosuke learned it as a joke, he never actually thought it’d come in handy. The blast would launch Ryunosuke a good thirty feet into the air, and devastate the ground below where he was standing, scorching the ground into glass.

The explosion could potentially hurt Col, but it was unlikely. It’s power had mostly been focused downward to shoot Ryunosuke up, and so the force would largely have dissipated by the time it got to Col, although he’d certainly still feel the heat. Ryunosuke’s body wasn’t really hurt by the blast, and the technique was minor enough that it didn’t hurt any more than touching his hand to a hot pan for a split second, and his pain tolerance reduced that even more.

Now in the air, Ryunosuke launched himself again, using another Moon Step Cero aimed parallel to the ground, traveling backwards from where he had originally been standing, and landing about fifty feet from Col, on his feet. Again, a mere moment of minor pain. He had to use that technique more, it was great for combat travel. he made a mental note of it. Ryunosuke let his reiatsu flare, and held his hand up again, open palm facing Col, the hand that was still dripping with blood. All of the components necessary for Gran Rey Cero. Ryunosuke narrowed his eyes, and smiled.

“Was that kido?” Probably not what Col had been expecting to come out of Ryunosuke’s mouth. “Hold this fight for a second, how the shit did you use a Shinigami trick? I’m curious.” Ryunosuke felt confident about his position in this fight, but honestly, he was intrigued. Something deep within him felt drawn to this fact, drawn to the Kido usage, telling him that maybe this was the thing that had been missing from him, that felt like the hole where something once was.

See, Ryunosuke knew little about the Escudo. He knew that they were rebels, and rejected Kouhai, which he had a problem with, and he knew that the Zarpa were meant to be terrifying, but he knew nothing about the powers that they had. And the fact that Col demonstrated usage of Kido made him think that he should probably learn a bit about it before continuing the fight. After all, his superiors didn’t know he was out here, and he had been driven by a force that he couldn’t quite describe, so maybe there was some importance to the Zarpa that he hadn’t considered.

“You could use the break from fighting more than I could, tend to your wounds or something. This isn’t mercy, just a breather. But I want to know a few things, and I have a feeling only you can give me the answers I’m looking for.” Ryunosuke’s face was serious, although the smile never left it, and something about his aura was shifting, his reiatsu oscillating between a silver color, and a brilliant crimson, between sickeningly slackened burning hot. Between Deception, and Vengeance. This was an watershed moment in Ryunosuke’s path, and Col was smart enough to realize the importance of this situation.


Reiatsu: 15600/16000 (-100 Moon Step Cero x2)

[Col Arana]

"Unff." Col uttered an exclamation of discomfort as the dust and sand blasted up by Ryuunosuke's escape attempt forced the Zarpa to skid away from the explosion, and showering him with debris. A little dust on him, and he was in a state of discomfort but he was unharmed. And what's more, Ryunosuke had just launched himself skyward. He attack had managed to force the Zarpa back, but it had also delayed his casting of Byakurai by a moment. Col had intended the Byakurai casting to follow his slash, but the Espada had evaded his slash with this maneuver. So it was, that Col unleashed the crackling bolt of lightning while Ryunosuke was suspended in the air, the bolt blazing towards his chest. Furthermore, Col had been paying close attention. He had noted the wincing expression of pain on Ryunosuke's face. He knew that using such an unstable power caused him pain, and that improved the odds his Byakurai would strike true-- hitting as Ryunosuke fought the pain of his own attack.

However, even if the Byakurai landed, it was unlikely to be a finishing blow-- though it may have at least knocked the wind out of Ryunosuke. As the Espada landed, Col advanced on him, wary of the open hand facing him. Does he think me foolish enough that I don't know a Gran Rey Cero when I see one? Col asked mentally. Well. Then again. The Gran Rey Cero was supposed to be an Espada's secret weapon. Perhaps it was only reasonable that he did not know that Col knew about the technique. But at his question, Col flashed Ryunosuke a wicked smirk. "Was it? I must be a prodigy then." He jested in a callous and cruel tone. "Maybe I can even do it a second time." He stated and lifted his hand, holding his plasma blade, opening the palm open, so that he held the plasma blade only with his thumb-- pressed into his hand and deactivated the blade. "Hado #33. Soukatsui." This time however, it was not a kido spell Col launched but a bala, that exploded out from his palm with incredible speed. A bala it may have been, but its size was absolutely colossal! Perhaps it actually was a Sokatsui. Well. No. No it wasn't, and Ryunosuke would be experienced enough with the techniques at an arrancar's disposal to know this. He'll likely counter with his Gran Rey Cero. He thought as his attack raged towards Ryunosuke. Very well. I shall adapt to that and finish this Cuarta fool."

It had been a very long time since Col had fought like this. He would be lying if he didn't want to savor the thrill of facing someone with so much power. But he was also pragmatic and knew that if an opening to defeat his foe presented itself, he must take it immediately. Of course. With that Hierro, it would be difficult. Difficult indeed. But impossible? No. Col would break through that Hierro. Hierro was not impenetrable. It could be broken down. And Col didn't like his meals tough. How shall I tenderize you then, Cuarta....?

Reiatsu Remaining: 3125/3400 (-50 for Bala)

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

(OOC: My last post in this thread (probably) until July 10th, so hopefully it's worth it)

Honestly, Col Arana was the best fight Ryunosuke had ever had in his life, and the fact he'd been winning thus far was due to a combination of luck and overwhelming power. Ryunosuke's raw offensive power made up for about 70% of his current situation, and another 20% due to luck. The remaining 10% was other minor factors. But, regardless, the primary point was that although Ryunosuke was winning because of his strength, he also was winning because of his luck.

And his luck wasn't failing to run out. Col, when firing the Byakurai, had aimed at Ryunosuke's chest. Logically, he'd be drawn towards Ryunosuke's center, to the area that he could deal the most damage. He'd fire at the sternum. Or hell, if he wasn't aiming that way, Ryunosuke would be shifting so that that's where the lightning would strike. And although Col was hoping for a solid hit, which would've been ignored by Ryunosuke's Hierro most likely, he didn't get that.

Instead, the Kido ripped through Ryunosuke's shirt, flying straight through his Hollow hole, and ripping out the other end. Ryunosuke's eyes widened, and as he landed, after asking Col the questions, he responded in the only way imaginable: "You cocksucker, this was my favorite suit!" A hole, perhaps two fingers in width, had now been torn into Ryunosuke's shirt, revealing his Hollow Hole underneath. He felt naked, and highly uncomfortable.

But unfortunately for Ryunosuke, he didn't have time to react, before Col fired another Kido at him. Except, this one wasn't a fucking Kido. Ryunosuke could tell that based on the energy it felt like. It was a Bala, Col had just claimed it was Soukatsui. What a dick move. Although, Ryunosuke tucked that idea in the back of his mind to do later to someone else. Col's Bala was big, the size of a normal Arrancar's Cero. Hell, it was probably about the size of a SUV, to be honest. Ryunosuke had thrown around bigger Bala in the past, but honestly, this still worried him.

However, this Bala would create more problems for Col than it would for Ryunosuke. The second it was launched, Ryunosuke began flaring his reiatsu, as if preparing a defensive counter to the Bala. Col would expect that, of course, but Ryunosuke wouldn't launch it. Not yet. The Bala would fly at him, at amazing speeds, until it got so close that he couldn't possibly dodge, until his entire body was obscured by the Bala, until his reiatsu flaring and the Bala's reiatsu overlapped. Effectively, he'd hidden in plain sight.

And then, at a speed of 15000, he would be behind Col. The speed was 3 times faster than Col could Sonido, his ability to react to the movement was minimal, given his instincts were high, but simply not capable of reacting to teleportation, especially teleportation that he hadn't seen coming. Ryunosuke used a Garganta, but a custom one that he had crafted himself, in order to travel the distance. Col hadn't had visual cues, or reiatsu cues, to go off of, until it was too late. And now, things were going to get messy.

The instant that Ryunosuke appeared behind Col, his already extended right hand only half an inch away from the Escudo's back, Gran Rey Cero lept from his hands. Ryunosuke could fire Cero almost instantly, and Gran Rey Cero was no exception. The instant Ryunosuke appeared, the Cero would be moving, and the distance was so short that dodging was futile. Besides, a Gran Rey Cero traveled at 3x the speed of a normal Cero. And the size of the Cero was massive, since Ryunosuke wasn't holding back. It was the size of an apartment building at least, and it would consume and launch Col away from Ryunosuke.

But not only did Gran Rey Cero burn things like normal Cero, it's explosion was twice as powerful. 3200 Offensive Strength explosions would make Col's day quite hard. And in addition, there was of course the matter of the lightning that was discharged. Simply using Gran Rey Cero filled the air around Ryunosuke with crackling electricity, capable of frying Col. The Cero itself would also be full of that. The Cero's brilliant blue glow would illuminate the surrounding area, lighting up the smile on Ryunosuke's face for anyone still alive to see.

How on earth would Col survive this? Well, it wouldn't be by dodging, that was for sure. His ability to react was unlikely, to say the least. But could he endure such an attack? Ryunosuke hadn't seen Col's Ressurection yet, perhaps it held enough defensive strength to survive the apocalyptic attack that Ryunosuke had just launched. And if it was, Ryunosuke was going to be pissed. His usage of such potent techniques, and in quick succession, had damaged his body. His Pain Tolerance allowed him to deal with the worst of it, but it still felt like someone was hammering away at his arms, just barely failing to shatter the bones.

Reiatsu: 14950/1600 Remaining (-400 for Gran Rey Cero, -250 for Pequeno Garganta)

[Col Arana]

A hollow hole in his chest? That is rather annoying Col mused as Ryunosuke landed. He'd had a good chance but it had ultimately been fruitless due to pure circumstance. A pity. Against anyone other than his present foe that would have at least left a severe burn. ...Ah. Who was Col kidding. Against anyone other than his present foe, even a simple Byakurai would have left little but a charred husk. Such was Col's power. But such too, was his opponent's. Col was arrogant, but he could clearly perceive his opponent's tremendous strength. He was deserving of the title Espada, and was not a foe to take lightly. Col intensified his focus. Despite his opponent's power, he was beginning to feel annoyed, at his inability to land a second, solid hit on his enemy. Col was not a patient hunter. Oh, not that he didn’t know the value of biding his time. Sure. He could do that. As long as he was in control.

Col did not feel in control. And that meant it was time to escalate the conflict. Col was not one to sit in a deadlock. If he was on the back foot—and there was a niggling part of him that told him that was the case here, then he needed to do something to gain the upper hand. If the two were fighting as equals? The same applied. Something needed to be done to gain the advantage. If Col wasn’t winning, he wasn’t enjoying the battle. If he wasn’t winning, he was frustrated. His eyes gleamed, and the Zarpa absently flicked his plasma blade into the air. It spun once... twice... three times in the air as Col’s Bala hurtled towards Ryunosuke. Although Col’s instincts were merely above average, his ability to sense the mediums of energy through his opponents body were so advanced that it occasionally happened he could intrinsically sense his opponent’s intent. Especially when he was as focused as he was now. Col’s skills were so advanced that he could read the surface thoughts of Ryunosuke’s mind. So it was that his surprise attack was doomed before it started. Col drew his zanpakuto again, before his plasma blade even began its descent. Ryunosuke made his move. And Col made his.

”Dance Tarentella.”

SPOILER: Click to show

{Appropriate music}

Ryunosuke’s Gran Rey Cero coincided with an immense blaze of power from Col. Such was this immense blast of power, his Gran Rey Cero actually seemed to sputter for a moment. A dark shadow took form within it. Ryunosuke had attempted to fire his Gran Rey Cero at point blank range. A terrifying attack. No doubt there had been none that survived it. In the wake of such a blast, what hope did most mortals have of survival. The only defense was to dodge. It was impossible to think that someone could withstand it.

Let alone counter-attack.

But before the Gran Rey Cero had even completed, the shadowy form within the Cero suddenly was obscured by an incandescent array of blue and green light. A light show exploded before Ryunosuke’s eyes, as four plasma blades erupted from within his own attack, flashing like lightning and already aiming for the kill. Combined with Col’s own natural abilities, and what appeared to be a freely rotating wrist joint, the blades flashed and cut with astonishing speed. In the space of a single second, Col unleashed a total of ten strikes per blade! Forty slashes in the blink of an eye, burning through Ryunosuke’s Hierro in a single devastating flurry and searing deep wounds into the arrancar they protected. And while these attacks came at wildly different angles in a seemingly randomized pattern, every blow was at a critical target. The eyes, the legs, the hands, the throat, the face, the heart and the groin. Evasion was practically impossible. Ryunosuke was in the midst of his own attack— Col’s onslaught of blows had been unleashed even before the Gran Rey Cero had been completed. Reaction and complete avoidance of the blows would have been unfeasible even if Ryunosuke had been expecting the attack. Which it was highly unlikely he had. How could he have, when he knew the power of his attack better than anyone.

Indeed, his target should have been naught but a dust mote on the wind by now—killed so quickly and so completely by Ryunosuke’s attack he would not have had time to realize he was dead. Even with the power of an Arrancar’s Resurrection, how could Col have survived that attack! Let alone been able to counter?

As the smoke faded from his attack, the answer would become at least partially clear. A gray-white gleam of movement from mere feet in front of him revealed Col Arana, in his true form. Massive fangs protruded from his upper jaw now. A mask of chitin had covered his forehead within which were six rolling red orbs, that, upon closer inspection one might be horrified to realize were eyes. Eight extra eyes. The arrancar had sprouted two additional limbs as well, in addition to two odd, beltlike bands around his midsection. A plasma blade was attached on this belt, on Col’s left hip, though the right one was empty—the weapon in question having been flung into the air earlier, and had likely been vaporized by Ryunosuke’s attack, devoid of the protection of Col’s body and reiatsu. The Zarpa was covered head to toe in a bone white, chitinous armor. It even seemed to cover the beltlike bands around Col’s midsection. This armor seemed to have taken the brunt of the Gran Rey Cero. Though not without damage. The attack had left deep rips and cracks in the armor. Around the upper of the two bands, it had torn it away completely leaving charred, burnt flesh beneath. The chitin covering Col’s arms was severely cracked and broken, and some of it broke away, crumbling into the sand with scarcely a sound as Col moved.

And move Col did. He had not ceased his onslaught for an instant. His eyes, previously composed and cold, were now filled with a rabid fury. The disappearance of the Gran Rey Cero seemed only to intensify his strikes. Before he’d been tearing at Ryunosuke at a rate of forty blows per second, but now his wrists accelerated faster, spinning and whirling the blades in a confusing weave of death. Now he was attacking at forty eight. Col’s speed continued to ramp up in an attempt to simply bury Ryunosuke in attacks, taking full advantage of his extra limbs to increase the rapidity of his blows.

An attack like this was sure to be confusing. The plasma blades blurred in the air—no longer distinct shapes, and Col whirled them at such speeds they seemed to be vibrantly colored wheels, spinning in every direction at once, and weaving a net of blades around Ryunosuke, trapping him in this shredding buzzsaw that was Col’s unrelenting offense. Step techniques were of no use, attempting to Sonido through this whirlwind of death would result in Ryunosuke being reduced to little more than burnt, bloody chunks on the other side. Could the Cuarta possible hope to defend against an attack of this intensity?

Not for long. ”Oh... you’ve made a terrible mistake.” Col hissed at Ryunosuke as he unleashed his fury upon him. ”Nobody has ever damaged me like this before. But don’t feel too proud of yourself. That only assures you that I’m not toying with you anymore!” He snarled. Then in the midst of his onslaught—”Bakudo #61! Rikujokoro!” He hissed, one of his four attacking limbs pausing for the barest of instants to extend a bony talon to point at the Espada, before resuming its assault. That instant cost Col a grand total of six blows for that exchange. A paltry price for the results.

Six pillars of light suddenly appeared out of thin air and slammed into Ryunosuke, pinning him in place, and immobilizing him. Even his arms and legs could not move, unless he broke the kido. Ryunosuke’s reiatsu strength was greater than Col’s but it was by a minor amount. Breaking this spell would be a struggle, and made more difficult by the fact that Col wasn't stopping his attack. His blades still flew in from every conceivable angle. He even started mixing in thrusts. Even for a well trained eye it would be a confusing mess of attacks, the green and blue seeming to blur together into a seemingly solid mass, creating a blue/green haze through which the two could see the world.

Even if he could, Col had a secret weapon. Three in fact, but the most notable was that his assault could intensify even further. He was slowly ramping up the volume of his blows per second. At present, each limb was unleashing twelve attacks per second. This was a very manageable speed for Col, but he could press it even faster, if he chose—to a maximum of nearly twenty blows per second from each individual arm, and would readily do so depending on Ryunosuke’s response to his attack. The other most notable secret weapon is that the two bands around Col’s torso were not bands at all. They were a fifth and six arm, pulled in so tightly around him, that they were almost unrecognizable as such. In a strange twist of fate, Ryunosuke’s Gran Rey Cero had scorched and damaged Col to the extent that it was difficult to tell the arms from any other part of his carapace, making it much harder to discern them as that—especially while under such an intense attack.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2725/3100 (-400 for release) (-150 at release's conclusion)
Resurrection: 1/16