A Clash of Ideals [R, DP]

[Zeich Yajuu]

Thread Title: A Clash of Ideals [R, DP]
Participants: Zeich Yajuu, Kazura Uzaki
World: Soul Society
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: R
Location: The battle itself takes place on the riverside near Karakura, starting at the underside of the bridge there, a place that has a fateful significance to Zeich. It will proceed outwards from there.
Special Conditions: None.
Circumstances: Zeich has thought long and hard on Kazura's offer to join him in an effort to protect Karakura Town, and has come to a decision regarding that offer. However, before he answers, he wants to see Kazura's worth.

[Zeich Yajuu]

“You ready? You know what to do.”

It was another day for most; late summer leading into fall meant that days were getting shorter, and that the sun fell much sooner. Already it was getting late in the day, with the sun ready to set in the next hour or so. Of course, the skies overhead were overcast as well, blocking the view and adding a bit of a dreary atmosphere to the cool weather as they hinted at rain. Yet despite this Karakura was as busy and bustling as ever; people bundled up in jackets and carried their umbrellas, expecting the worst, but it did not deter business as usual. Indeed, many seemed to revel in the cool weather after what felt like a summer that had been too hot for most; as the leaves turned, the temperature had begun to fall, and now a mild chill sat in the air.

But while others went about their business, one man sat in waiting, standing in a half-crouch, ready to act the moment his target came into view. Golden eyes glittered behind a bone-white mask in the shape of a wolf's head, and though the piece was ceramic and purely aesthetic in nature, the imagery was enough to make most shrink back under that fierce glare. Few would know that those eyes were unseeing, given their clear, unclouded hues. But Zeich had lived with his blindness for over a month and a half now, and he had grown accustomed to it to the point that it rarely bothered him, automatically relying on his sense of hearing to accommodate his needs whenever Haiiro wasn't around to act as his eyes and relay information to him.

Speaking of the wolf, Haiiro was elsewhere despite being summoned by the Spiritual Projection technique; normally, the former Zanpaktou spirit kept close to his master, but today he had another errand, one that would take him away from Zeich. The Vizard's companion was making his way through Karakura town to a point that his master had designated, the same alleyway in which the two of them had met a certain individual about a week prior. This same individual had been sent a letter with a request to meet there to speak, and the signature at the end would likely be enough to draw his interest. After all, few received a message from a man who went by “Wolf.” No, Kazura Uzaki would be there, Zeich could just feel it.

But even if the CEO of Uzaki Enterprises was there, he would find himself alone, at least at first; Zeich was not present despite asking to meet him there. Indeed, the alleyway was empty, and would be so until roughly fifteen minutes after the listed meeting time. It was at that point that Haiiro would appear, standing in the entrance to the alleyway. It was doubtful that Kazura had forgotten the wolf that had been companion to the enigmatic man he had met not long back, and given that he was a fairly intelligent man, it would not be hard to perceive that the wolf wanted to be followed. Haiiro did not say anything, as he had yet to give away his powers of speech, but instead would walk a short distance away if Kazura ever approached, leading him on a slow, roundabout route through town.

Eventually, the trail would lead them to the river, and from there to the underside of a bridge that crossed it. There Kazura would finally spot the man he had come to meet, standing beneath a mural that had been painted onto the wall behind him. The wall depicted a wolf that looked eerily similar to Haiiro, down to the whorl-like markings on his body, only this lupine was blazing bright. A name had once adorned the wall as well, but Zeich had taken that down to avoid leaving a trail for anyone to follow to him. All that was left was the mural, and beneath it, Zeich stood waiting for Kazura to arrive, his posture far more ready and wary than their last meeting.

The Vizard wore both swords visible at his hip, and his right hand rested on the hilt of the weapon at that side. Haiiro's sword; this was the Zanpaktou, gifted from another Vizard, that had been imprinted with Zeich's former spirit in order to protect him. The other was Zeich's actual Zanpaktou, the one that housed the powers that came from Tsukikage, the Vizard's Inner Hollow. Zeich's garb was fairly casual beyond that, a windbreaker that hung fairly comfortably on his frame, a pair of jeans, and a pair of sturdy-looking boots. His swords hung from two belts that looped around his waist, each bearing one of the two weapons.

However, one thing stood out from the rest of the garb, and that was the mask that covered his face. Before, Zeich had met Kazura face-to-face. This time, however, their meeting was to be far less cordial. The mask, that of a snarling white wolf, was a mirror of Zeich's Vizard mask, and when he wore it, it was not just to hide his true identity, but to burn a new image into the eyes of those who saw it. He truly was the Wolf when he wore his mask, and it was this same wolf that Kazura would meet, standing beneath the bridge. Finally, the time had come for the two of them to speak to one another, though their words would be few, and as Zeich began to speak, Haiiro disappeared into mist, letting his master handle things from that point onwards.

“It doesn't seem like anyone is following you.” Zeich stated plainly, and the reason for Kazura's lupine escort was suddenly more evident; it was a chance to ensure that no one would spy on them or interfere with their meeting. These were just natural precautions for one who had been a member of the Internal Affairs unit among the Shinigami. But now it was time to move on to the main point. “I have considered your offer, and have made a decision. I want to fight you, Uzaki. I want to see the 'hero' fight. You'll win, of course, 'hero'; won't you?” That mocking tone was back in his voice, though this time it was far less barbed and more in jest.

“Just be warned, however.” Zeich warned suddenly, both hands dropping to his swords and gripping the hilts firmly, ready to draw them. “I fully intend to act with killing intent. Don't die on me, 'hero.'”

Remaining Reiatsu: 7000/7000

SPOILER: Click to show

{Zeich's Stats}Stats (Rank 2 Mercenary):

Strength - [300] (300) Points

Speed - [400] (400) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [400 x 1.75] (700) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [200 x 0.6] (120) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses - [200] Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1800] points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Zeich's Skills}Current Skills: (17 SKP)

• [Weapons - Katana] 3
  
  
• [Strength of Will] 3
  
  
• [Martial Arts - Hakuda] 3
  
  
• [Stealth] 2
  
  
• [Calm Mind] 3
  
  
• [Martial Arts - Wing Chun] 1
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] 2

[Kazura Uzaki]

"Meet me where we first met. -Wolf"

The note was plain, simple, and straightforward. It had even arrived in the mail, which was new for Kazura. Usually his letters were hand delivered by Shinigami and other spiritual beings who waltzed into his office invisible. It was... frustrating, to say the least. This Wolf, though, had enough sensibility to go through proper channels, polite channels even. Though, with the unpredictability of how quickly mail traveled, Kazura made sure that he would not leave the former Shinigami waiting. No, he'd be there in that alleyway as quickly as he could. It wasn't too far from Uzaki Enterprises' Headquarters, so the fullbringer quickly got ready and headed over there.

Not knowing what to expect, the man brought a greatly reduced set of equipment. Underneath his clothes he wore his black battle suit with belt and he had one of his Conversion Gauntlets and a MK IV Gauntlet in a briefcase alongside a few magazines of bullets, a pair of guns, and some other tools. He wanted to make sure that he was prepared for anything, but he didn't pack everything just in case this was to be another discussion or lively debate rather than a challenge or something. The way that the two parted last time, it could go either way. While Kazura had a bit of respect for the man who still seemed to care for his former job, who hesitated when Kazura incorrectly attributed it to him, he had no way of knowing how Wolf felt towards him. Though his words had been softer, that could have been any number of emotions.

The fullbringer arrived to an empty alleyway. Not surprising, but slightly disappointing. It didn't take long, however, for an escort to arrive in the form of the Wolf's wolf companion. The unique animal was easily identifiable. As Kazura began to walk towards Haiiro, the wolf moved away in a slow, leading fashion. Following through the streets of Karakura was easy, as it was nearing dark and the foot traffic was starting to die down. The weather was overcast and gloomy, which Kazura found amusing. He was to meet a very overcast and gloomy person on an overcast and gloomy day. The walk through the streets was winding and silent, as neither the fullbringer or the Spirit said a word.

When Kazura arrived to the bridge, the wolf faded away and the Wolf addressed the man directly. His verbal discourse was as simple and straightforward as his written discourse. Kazura wasn't particularly surprised as Zeich was a very to the point, practical kind of man. It made sense for him to make sure that the fullbringer had the skills to back up his claims. The sarcasm and mocking tone was still present, though it didn't have as much hate and bite to it as it had before. Though to be honest, Kazura would never think that Zeich was all bark and no bite. The former Shinigami was extremely serious, and Kazura knew that this test of his ideals was going to be challenging.

"I accept your challenge, Wolf. Come see my resolve." While talking, Kazura was opening up his suitcase and equipping himself. He put his gauntlets on, set his guns and other items into his belts, and then tossed aside the case. He could easily buy a new one and he wasn't particularly attached to it. He just had to get it out of the way in case Zeich rushed him while he was getting battle ready. Kazura had no idea what to expect from the man, but he was focused. He was intent on proving to the former Shinigami that he was capable of backing up his heroic ideals.

Regardless of what Zeich did while Kazura was putting on his equipment, the fullbringer's first act would be to step backwards and release his Incomplete fullbring. Wolf was an enemy to take seriously. His release was his greatest strength and asset, so Kazura released it early. It wasn't like he was wasting energy, though, since he had more than enough stores of energy with which to draw. His energy pools had more than doubled since he had worked on improving his abilities. While his keen senses had diminished from the intensive soul developing, it was a cost well worth paying.

As the dust faded from Kazura's releasing his fullbring, the technological theme could easily be seen. His entire left side was covered in glowing circuits that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat. His left eye was covered by a visor (think the Power Level Reader from DBZ), and his left arm and leg were covered in those circuits. His release had also taken off his shirt, revealing his armor with a glowing symbol on the chest. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Kazura's release had to do with technology, though it could also be confused with a pure electrical release as well. Zeich was clever though, and analytical, and it was difficult to think that he would be confused. But how would he react?

Remaining Reiatsu: 9,800/10,000 (-200 Main Fullbring Level 1)
Main Fullbring Level 1: 1/10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats/Skills}


Strength - [200 x.5 (100)] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Light Aura - [40] Points

Dark Aura - [60] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400 x2.5 (1,000)] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [150] Points

Instinct - [250 x2 (500)] Points

Senses [150 x.5 (75)] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [100] Points


Total SP: [1600] Points

Abilities

• [Crafting/Forging] {4}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {3}
  
  
• [Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Learning] {2}
  
  
• [Krav Maga] {2}
  
  
• [Street Fighting] {2}
  
  
• [Leadership/Charisma] {1}
  

Total SKP: 17

[Zeich Yajuu]

It seemed that Kazura had wasted no time in arriving; Zeich's ears caught the sounds of footsteps along with Haiiro's padding pace, and it wouldn't take the businessman to speak up. Fortunately, whether out of respect for the situation or a similar mindset to the Vizard's own, Kazura's reply was quick and to the point; the man likely understood Zeich's resolve and the reason behind his desire to test him. This made things easier, as both accepted that combat was inevitable between them. But at the same time, that combat would allow them to learn more about one another and to understand each other, even as their ideals and world views collided. The jaded soldier against the idealistic hero; one of these two mindsets would die here today, buried in blood. The man may live on, but the idea would die.

Zeich's ears caught the sound of something heavy being placed on the ground and the click of a latch. A container of some kind? Haiiro had mentioned briefly that the man had been carrying a briefcase, but what it contained was a mystery to them both. The former Shinigami considered his options before deciding that direct action would be the best course. His opponent was obviously equipping himself for combat, and to most, attacking during preparation was seen as extremely rude. But in a battlefield, there was no room for politeness, no time for manners or kindness; life and death were decided in a few heartbeats, and there was no room for error. That was why he struck immediately, regardless of his opponent's attempt to arm himself; Kazura would soon learn just how serious this Wolf was when he had said he fought with the intent to kill.

Buraindo Jinsei, the first of the Dark Wild Arts Hakuda, was activated almost immediately. This sharpened all of Zeich's senses, save for his sight, as this particular line of Hakuda relied exclusively on working without the use of one's eyes. As a result, the Vizard could now “see” almost as effectively as if he was using his eyes; he could hear Kazura's breathing, the shuffling of his clothing as he moved, the sounds of equipment being strapped on. Metal, leather; each of them had a unique sound, and Zeich could anticipate with a little thought that the man was placing several items on his belt. The man was most certainly arming himself for combat now, and whatever weapons he had ready, there were quite a few; it seemed that Kazura relied on his money in combat almost as much as he did his spiritual powers.

Next came a Bakudo as Zeich armed himself, the spell cast at the same time Kazura finished equippming himself. “Throw the pebble in the pond; ripple across the still waters, trace the boundaries, return. Bakudo #3: Sazanami.” The Vizard had never been proficient with Kido, but there were some simple techniques that even he could make use of, and Sazanami was one of the most efficient. It created a ripple-like effect that bounced off of spiritual objects, almost like echolocation but focused on spiritual energy. With the incantation spoken, it would constantly “ping” for a short duration, giving Zeich an even more accurate means of pinpointing Kazura's location constantly when combined with his sharpened senses. Though his eyes no longer worked, the former Shinigami could still see in his own way when he tried.

And finally, Kazura's last action was to activate his Fullbring. Zeich didn't know what the man's spiritual powers would be like, given that he knew very little about the Fullbringer, but he could feel the pulse of spiritual energy spike as Kazura activated his Release. But it was in the moment that Kazura's energy spiked that Zeich attacked, making use of the wave of spiritual force to mask his motions and the use of his own Reiatsu. Shunpo had him darting across the water and reappearing even before the motion caused it to ripple and part behind him. Both hands were on his swords now, and even as the waves began to form, they began to draw the blades from their sheaths. Metal would gleam in the fading light, but the steel of his swords paled in comparison to the metallic shine of his golden eyes.

“Howl, Tsukikage.”

The attack came in an instant, faster than one would expect and forcing Kazura to react even quicker. His right arm surged with Reiatsu as Shunpo Karin accelerated its existing motion, drawing out the sword in a curving arc that would have it crossing the Fullbringer's chest in a deadly slice that would cleave him in two if he didn't react to it. Behind it came the second sword at a slower motion, limited to Zeich's own speed, yet it was still fast in itself, creating the other half of the X across Kazura should the man not avoid it. This was only the opening gambit, and Zeich hardly expected it to work, but if his would-be “employer” died here, then he wouldn't be worthy to work with anyway. The Vizard had meant every word about being willing to kill, and he would not hold back for the sake of the city's “hero,” no matter what the effects of his death would be. All that mattered, for the time being, was this moment here.

That was why he had struck decisively. Even as he approached, Zeich had released his Zanpaktou, the ashen blade dissolving and immediately reforming thanks to the Kaijin Ken technique that created weapons from the powder that his Release created. The ash flowed freely from the sheath, pooling down around Zeich, though one section darted across his body at an amazing speed, almost twice as fast as the Vizard could move at his best. This ash coated Haiiro's sword, coating it and giving it another edge, a sheath-like blade that would cut with the same force as Zeich's actual Zanpaktou. Kaijin Ken was a flexible technique, and with this he had formed a hollow sword and simply used Haiiro as a base to build it around. This would allow both swords to cut through defenses evenly.

Even as Zeich's attack finished, he leapt backwards and back onto the river's surface, standing on air ground a scant centimeter above the water. His knees were slightly bent, his body coiled; one arm was extended, holding Tsukikage out and pointed ahead, ready to stab forward the moment that Kazura got close, while the other arm was cocked back, elbow bent, so that Haiiro's sword was close to Zeich's body in the event that the Fullbringer managed to somehow get past his initial defense. Every motion was practiced and flowed into the next smoothly, and the Vizard let his breathing hasten, meeting his heartbeat as his body adapted to the flow of battle.

But then he was acting again, lunging forward at his normal speed, only slightly reduced to conserve physical energy. Those golden eyes glimmered as he slashed down with Tsukikage in his right hand, which would force Kazura to dodge to one side or have the blade cleave through his shoulder. But the moment that the man moved, with Zeich's sharp ears and his Bakudo tracking him, the Vizard would be ready; he would take the time to determine the direction in which his opponent would move, and then Haiiro would stab forward, straight at the right side of Kazura's chest. He had no way of knowing what his enemy was capable of, so Zeich was making a decisive attack right from the beginning, hoping to end things quickly.

And at the same time, he almost hoped that he didn't...

Remaining Reiatsu: 6525/7000 (-50 for Buraindo Jinsei, -25 for Sazanami, -50 for Shunpo, -150 for Shikai, -100 for Kaijin Ken x2, -100 for Shunpo Karin)

Shikai: 1/10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Altered Stats}Senses are doubled thanks to Buraindo Jinsei

Strength - [300] (300) Points

Speed - [400] (400) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [400 x 1.75] (700) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [200 x 0.6] (120) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses – [200 x 2] (400) Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1800] points

[Kazura Uzaki]

OOC: Totally forgot to put in my item list. So sorry.

While Kazura was equipping himself for the upcoming test, Zeich uttered some kind of incantation that the Fullbringer didn't recognize. The words he was saying didn't sound too threatening, and the number of the Bakudo was low, so the man figured that it wasn't something that he had to worry too much about. He was painfully familiar with Bakudo 1, Sai, which had restrained him painfully before he had developed his powers and grown to be such a strong fullbringer. Kazuko had unknowingly shown Kazura of the fascinating Kidou arts, and had even inspired a fun piece of technology. Kidou was definitely a fun source of inspiration due to its otherworldly effects, but Kazura wasn't yet sure was Sazanami was capable of.

Just as Kazura was done releasing, though, he instantly had to react to an attack that sought to cut him in half once, and then a second cut just after it that sought to cut him into quarters. With his exceptional processing speed, Kazura was able to react to Zeich's Shunpo Karin by stepping backwards with Bringer Light. Though it would do nothing to the blind former Shinigami, the fullbringer would leave a column of light where he had been standing previously. That, however, would not be enough to fully dodge the attack, due to the great difference in speed between Zeich's Shunpo Karin and Kazura's Bringer Light.

While stepping backwards, Kazura angled his left palm and fired a small burst of air out of the gauntlet that he had equipped. It had above average strength, 150, but that shot still didn't have the power to deflect Zeich's sword, what with the man's impressive strength. By stepping at Kazura as quickly as he did, using the dust to hide himself and his actions, Zeich had put the fullbringer in a corner of sorts, and he was going to land a blow. The Bringer Light and air blast would help a little, but the difference in speed was too great, and the tip of Zeich's weapon would hit Kazura's armor as the man stepped away.

The armor's ability to absorb physical impacts slightly definitely helped, though it didn't have the same durability as it would if Kazura was using his Level 2 fullbring. So, Zeich successfully cut through the armor in a small line, nicking Kazura slightly. It wasn't too painful, but it definitely showed the Fullbringer that he had to be serious about this. In response, the human's mind started to analyze in overdrive. The black blade was something to fear, and while Kazura didn't understand the Vizard's powers yet, he knew to stay away from that and expect more weapons. The ashy substance had covered the blades in front of Kazura's eyes, so he knew to make sure to be vigilant for an attack from any angle.

The next attack, though, came from the front. The former Shinigami ran at the CEO instead of using Shunpo, giving Kazura more than enough time to plan, process, and react. The first blade came down, and Kazura used Movement to get out of the way, and as the second blade came stabbing forward, Kazura used Movement a second time to move backwards again. But this time he wasn't just dodging. Not wanting to look a coward who only dodges was part of Kazura's thought process, but he also thought that his counter was solid.

As he moved backwards with his third step technique of the local few seconds, his spiritual energy surged and the chest symbol of his armor shot out a medium sized laser blast. This was his Main Fullbring's "Energy of Life". It resembled a Cero in form, though it wouldn't explode like the Hollow technique. It did, however, possess a naturally strong Offensive Power based on his high Spiritual Pressure, which had just been doubled by his activation of the Human World Dweller technique Gate. With an effective offensive stat of 2,000, it was not an attack to take lightly. It was aimed directly at Zeich's chest, so it could do some damage if it wasn't dealt with or dodged.

Remaining Reiatsu: 9,475/20,000 (-50 Bringer Light, -25 first Movement, -50 second Movement, -100 Gate, -100 Laser attack)
Long Term Stat boosts: 1/3
Main Fullbring Level 1: 2/10
Air Storage Left hand: 5/6

SPOILER: Click to show

{Current Stats}
Just what's changed
Spiritual Pressure: 2,000
Reiatsu Strength: 300

SPOILER: Click to show

{Items}
Item Name: Convert-A-Weapon
Item Rank: Unique, C
Item Type: Weapon
Item Description: A shiny, round metal sphere small enough to fit snugly in the palm of one's hand. It looks pretty dull yet futuristic at the same time. With a simple thought, this sphere transforms into any weapon that the user imagines. Any weapon that the user can imagine to be more exact. Get yours today.
Quantity: 2

Item Name: UE1 Handgun
Item Rank: C
Item Type: Weapon
Item Description: This fashionable weapon is made out of stainless steel and coated with a protective resin. Self proclaimed the best handgun in its class for its price, it boasts a penetrating strength of 300 and a bullet velocity of 600. It equips basic handgun ammo that can be purchased in any human world store, and it built for versatility. The magazine is well oiled to slide out easily and without trouble but is also manufactured to not easily disengage on its own. The front of the barrel is equipped with a slot for optional attachments, which are sold separately. It can hold ten bullets per magazine.
Price: 5,000


Item Name: UE2 Handgun
Item Rank: B
Item Type: Weapon
Item Description: This weapon builds on the functionability of the UE1 model and adds combat power. The attachment slot is still present as in the other model, which allows it to maintain its claim of being a highly versatile weapon for both law enforcement and private use. The UE2 has a penetrating strength of just 200, but it has a bullet velocity of 650 speed. The magazine holds twelve bullets, an even set of three. This increase in magazine size is important due to the handgun's ability to fire in a burst setting. One pull of the trigger will fire three bullets in quick succession. It can be turned from burst to semi-auto firing with a selector on the side.
Price: 7,500

Item Name: Spiritual Bullet x20
Item Rank: D
Item Type: Ammo
Item Description: This bullet is lined with a thin wire of spiritual steel. For ten reiatsu per bullet, the user can charge it and allow it to hit spiritual targets. It will fail against any spiritual defense. The power of the bullet is based on the gun, but it cannot exceed 300 strength or 600 speed or the wires will short out, making it unable to hit spiritual targets.
Price: 50 per bullet


Item Name: Explosive Bullet x20
Item Rank: D
Item Type: Ammo
Item Description: This bullet is lined with a small center of explosives. Upon impact, the small bullet will explode, causing a small amount of shrapnel and a small amount of heat. The bullet is capable of blasting a three inch hole into concrete, and a slightly bigger hole into flesh. This bullet cannot accept spiritual energy, or it will burst inside the weapon.
Price: 100 per bullet

Item Name: Silencer
Item Rank: E
Item Type: Attachment
Item Description: This attachment muffles the sound of the gunshot. It doesn't completely remove the sound, but quiets it so that someone with less than 50 senses wouldn't be able to hear it.
Price: 300

Item Name: Suit MK IV
Item Rank: B
Item Type: Armor
Item Description:
This Suit maintains the same physical defense as before, being able to withstand and absorb 150 strength before the impact is felt by the wearer.

This Suit has an extra ability. For up to two consecutive posts at a time, the wearer can mentally activate the cameras and projectors hidden and armored along the suit. If he is not wearing anything over the suit, then the cameras and projectors will pick up the environment around him and then adjust the image they project accordingly. As a result, the suit camouflages into any environment, effectively becoming invisible. It updates in real time too, so something moving behind him won't throw off the effect. However, it has some drawbacks. First, any electrical current that runs into him will short circuit the cameras for four posts, negating his invisibility until they recover. Also, any reiatsu attack that hits him does the same thing. It requires 25 reiatsu per post to stay invisible. Once the invisibility has been used up or turned off, it needs to recover for a whole post of not using it.
Price: 20,000

Item Name: Gauntlets MK IV
Item Rank: C
Item Type: Weapon
Item Description: A simple pair of black gauntlets, these gloves have metal tips and a small port in the back. When the wearer wills, those tips cause red plasma claws to emerge. These claws have the natural ability to carve through most non-spiritual material easily, having to work harder to push through metal and other similarly dense materials, just as the Plasma blades from Urahara's Shop can. For the cost of 50 reiatsu per post, the user can pour reiatsu into the blades through the access port, giving the claws spiritual cutting power equal to an offensive stat of 200. The port on the back has a dual nature. It feeds both into the Air Cannons and the Gauntlets.
Price: 10,000


Item Name: Conversion Gauntlets MK I
Item Rank: A
Item Type: Armor/Weapon
Item Description: This sleek black Gauntlet model is the latest and greatest of UE technology, so far. The extent of this item's abilities makes the other models look like toys in comparison. It starts with an expanded air tank capable of holding a much greater amount of air at a time. While other models could hold up to six portions of air, this model compresses up to ten portions of air. This is extremely important not only for enhanced ability to fire out blasts of 150 strength air, but because the extra quantity is necessary fuel for what this model is capable of.

Sacrificing the ability to compress air for high Strength impacts, the Conversion Gauntlets allow Fullbringers to channel their Soul Command abilities into the technology of the weapon, effectively converting air into one of two options. It can either separate the elements into Hydrocarbons, which are extremely flammable, or combine the elements into liquid water. A two chamber system allows the gauntlets to intake air at a rate of 1 portion per post to replace either the flammable gas or the water that is expelled through the palm at 150 strength. The gas is able to be ignited into fire blasts using small spark generators inside the exhaust port in the palm.

The conversion process takes 200 reiatsu to perform due to the highly specific and focused Soul Command needed to convert air into gas or water, regardless of the fact that the gauntlet helps the process along. Even though reiatsu is being given up to make this switch, a large amount of nuclear energy is generated by the splitting of atoms required to achieve the elemental change. To make this non-lethal to the wearer, the glove is lined with Sekki Sekki stone to absorb the released energy. This does nothing to the durability of the weapon, it is only useful for preventing the user from killing themselves with a nuclear blast every time they use it.

As a last note, due to the incredibly large amount of energy released by the conversion, any spiritual being, even those with 0 Energy Sensory will be able to feel something happening inside the gauntlet. Hiding the fact that Air was just converted into water or fire is not possible with this item.
Price: 120,000

Item Name: Air Cannons Mk III
Item Rank: C
Item Type: Weapon
Item Description:This air cannon expands upon the ability to create blasts of air by building up air pressure. Using the limited knowledge of matter compression that he has, the storage capacity of the cannons has increased to six portions. The added compression of air pressure has also increased the potency of the cannons to 150 strength. Additionally, compressing the air further can result in a "combined shot" By charging for a post, up to 3 shots can be released at one time, adding their strengths together for a maximum of 450 strength. The user can enter a thread with full air. For a cost of 25 reiatsu per shot, the user can pour their energy into the access slot, allowing these air shots to hit spiritual targets.
Cost to Build: 10000

[Zeich Yajuu]

Not fast enough! Zeich thought to himself as he felt Kazura start to move away, the surge of spiritual energy from his step technique resonating through the air and causing ripples to reverberate back through Sazanami. His ears could hear the air moving with his highly sharpened senses, and his ability to analyze motions in the heat of battle gave him a rough estimate of his opponent's speed. The CEO wasn't fast enough, and Zeich felt his sword connect with the man, striking at his body with a staggering force. However, the attack wasn't quite a success for two reasons; first, only the very edge of the slash had caught Kazura, meaning that any wound left would be superficial and mostly inconsequential. But more importantly was the second reason, the resistance Zeich felt and the clink of metal that he heard ring out when his weapon struck at the Fullbringer.

Armor then, huh? Not sturdy enough to avoid being cut, but enough to reduce the impact of slashes. It's unfortunate that my power is made for armor like this, however... Zeich had struck with his sword for more than one reason, and his ashen blade's special nature began to take effect; a small portion of the ash would remain in that opening, waiting for the right moment to strike. If anything, the gray material would look almost like part of the armor, assuming that the colors matched, and with a non-existent spiritual presence to it, the ash would remain hidden, unable to be detected. A trap had been laid, one that would be useful later as the battle unfolded further, but Zeich knew that now was not the time to use it.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Kazura was smarter than Zeich had expected, or at least had some absolutely fantastic reflexes; even as the Vizard lunged forward at a fast pace, a full 300 Speed, the Fullbringer was able to start moving far too quickly for average mental reflexes. Either the man had the ability to analyze him exceptionally and predict his moves this early in the battle, or his instincts were sharp enough that Kazura was able to react almost instantly when Zeich made an action. Unsure of which it was, the Vizard knew that he would have to think carefully and plan out each action, and then carry them out in rapid succession. His Shunpo Karin had enabled him to strike before, but if Kazura was able to predict his actions already, that strategy wouldn't work again. It was time to test just how well the man could react.

Even as Kazura finished moving, stepping to the side and making room to make his own counterattack, Zeich was moving again. Relentless and fast-paced, the former Shinigami would appear to simply turn; however, he was moving far faster than that, and even as Kazura observed him doing so, Zeich was already stepping forward with a step technique, leaving behind an afterimage thanks to the unique nature of the ability. Shinkirou, the Mirage technique, was a special movement that allowed the user to move incredibly fast in one direction before returning to the original spot. Often this happened over a few seconds utilizing an after-image to mask the user's disappearance, and it gave the impression of an attack simply sliding through them harmlessly if timed correctly. Zeich was using it offensively, however, fooling Kazura into believing that he hadn't moved from his spot when, in actuality, he was already practically on top of the Fullbringer.

Another Shunpo Karin would strike without Zeich even appearing, his attack coming in that sparse second in which he was in front of Kazura instead of back in his initial position. Tsukikage's blade would lash out diagonally, from the Fullbringer's lower left to his upper right, and would cleave a deep cut in the man's armor if their last clash was any indication. Even if the attack didn't pierce through, as long as the blade connected it would shatter and dissolve into ash, coating the Fullbringer's armor and covering almost half of Kazura's torso. From there, the Reiatsu-draining effects of Zeich's Zanpaktou would begin, and Kazura would learn of Tsukikage's power of suppression as his ability to use techniques began to slip away.

But even as Zeich returned to his initial spot, two things alerted him to a counterattack by Kazura, one that would likely come even if the Vizard's attack had been successful. One, his opponent's spiritual energy had vastly increased; though the strength of it had gone up noticeably, it paled in comparison to the exceptional growth of its amount and presence. Zeich knew that something was coming; this was simply the charge-up before the real strike, and indeed in a moment energy began to build up again. Zeich couldn't tell how it was building, or where, just that it was there. Fortunately, that was all he needed; a leap upwards with his strength was enough to easily put him ten feet in the air, suspended on air ground above Kazura. He felt and heard something rush by beneath him, and his Sazanami spell informed him of the presence of a blast of energy, rather small in size; was that what Kazura had been charging up for?

Zeich figured that whatever the attack was, it had to have been highly compressed. It seemed unlikely that the “hero” would make such an incompetent-seeming attack without something more to it. Being struck by it would have been a poor decision. Of course, Kazura's spiritual presence hadn't gone down in the slightest, even after that attack; it seemed that whatever he had done, the Fullbringer's power would stay increased. Zeich knew he would have to be wary; even if the attacks weren't strong, it was still very possible to be crushed by the sheer amount. The Vizard himself fought in the same manner, using his Spiritual Pressure rather than the strength of his Reiatsu, so he was very wary of those who used similar methods.

Standing above Kazura, Zeich already bore another sword; he had formed another blade with Kaijin Ken, and it looked identical to the first. So far, his power had only been revealed to be the creation of swords; he hadn't yet shown its true abilities, and Kazura hadn't yet seem the flexibility and techniques that came with the suppressive ash. He would see them soon enough, as soon as the ash on his body had the chance to spread and drain away his Reiatsu. It was only a matter of time. “You're quick enough to react, I suppose, but if this is all you can do, Uzaki, you're going to die. You're more fit to be prey than predator, it seems.”

Remaining Reiatsu: 5925/7000 (-400 for Shinkirou, -100 for Shunpo Karin, -50 for Kaijin Ken, -50 for Buraindo Jinsei upkeep)

Shikai: 2/10

Sazanami: 2/3

[Kazura Uzaki]

As Kazura was stepping back, Zeich flickered forwards and slashed at him again with that blazing fast strike. With enough instinct to be able to pick up on all non-visual information and instantly understand what was going on, the fullbringer could tell that the Vizard had approached him quickly with a step technique, slashed with the step speeds attack, then stepped away again. This time, there would be no using Bringer Light to try and mitigate the damage, since it wouldn't have completely dodged it anyways. No, this time Kazura would need to block instead of dodge.

Despite his mastery of Calm Mind and mastery of Strength of Will, Zeich would feel a bit of intimidation coming off of Kazura's body as his sword entered a distance of nearly an inch off of the fullbringer's skin. In addition, the former Shinigami would find that Kazura's body would be incredibly hard to reach with his blade. Having set his feet in defiance and rejecting the will of Zeich to harm him, the Uzaki had extended a glowing field of energy made up of his soul around his whole body and was pushing outwards with it. The first Martial Discipline, Ken, was potent, and though Zeich's spiritual pressure was strong enough to cut through Kazura's merging of his physical and reiatsu strength, it would still be another barrier between the attack and the fullbringer's flesh.

Ken had a push of 400 force, and the armor could absorb 150 strength worth of force. Combined, Zeich may have the cutting power to get through the armor, but the force behind the attack would be severely reduced. Going from 4000 speed in a cutting attack to being hindered and potentially even thwarted would be extremely jarring on the former Shinigami's arm. It would hurt, and once the sword exploded into ash and no longer had a cutting edge, the force of Ken would be very effective at just blowing the Shikai's suppressing substance away.

With the laser blast dodged and Zeich's harsh comment delivered, Kazura would chuckle and respond in kind while his Ken faded away. "I'm just getting started, former Shinigami, Wolf." The cutting strength of Zeich's Zanpakutou was something that was starting to get worrisome. Kazura wouldn't be able to take such cuts forever, especially with his armor only being so powerful. There was a solution to that, and though it would cost a fair amount of energy to activate while working his Soul overtime with Gate, it had to be done. Kazura needed to activate his armor form, his level 2 Fullbring.

The circuits faded into his body and another burst of reiatsu burst out of the fullbringer. Zeich's hidden ash would be blown away by the sheer magnitude of the release of energy. When the dust faded again, Kazura had been transformed once more, this time covered in a powerful black armor. This went way beyond the powers of the hand crafted armor. This armor, with the glowing red symbol and the thick helmet, was made of Kazura's Soul, and thus would have the full durability of a release. Now Kazura was fully covered by a defense with an offensive strength of 2,000, increasing the defensive ability by over 1300%. And he also had a new bag of tricks. But those would have to wait. Zeich had demonstrated last time he released that he wasn't shy in attacking immediately, so Kazura had to pay attention and counter attack rather than immediately go on the offensive.

Remaining Reiatsu: 7,975/20,000 (-100 Gate, -400 Ken, -1,000 Main Fullbring Level 2)
Main Fullbring Level 2: 1/13
Air Storage Left hand: 6/6 (+1 regen)

[Zeich Yajuu]

A sudden repulsive force stopped Zeich's attack in his tracks; despite his amazing speed, a blistering 5200 movement speed and 4000 attack speed, Kazura had simply repelled his attack. Since there was almost no way that the Vizard telegraphed his desire to move into a step technique, especially one as fast as Shinkirou, it must have been in the moment that he had appeared. Zeich would have popped into sight for a brief second since he was interrupting the line of sight between himself and his image, and Kazura's impressive mental reflexes had allowed him to react to counter the incoming attack. That spoke volumes about the man's reactive speed, and Zeich's wariness increased another notch. He would not be catching the Fullbringer by surprise very easily.

But it seemed that Kazura was not done, even as Zeich's attack barely made it through the defense and the former Shinigami was forced to retreat back to his initial position due to Shinkirou's nature. It was hardly a disadvantage, however, as a flare of Reiatsu signified that once again Kazura was releasing his Fullbring. However, this surge was much more powerful than before, and it was enough to disrupt the portion of Tsukikage's ash that had been planted on Kazura's armor, scattering it in all directions. It was immediately recalled back, surrounding Zeich once more; currently, Tsukikage's ash only covered Haiiro's blade, and the rest remained free-form around him, but that would change as his remaining sword was also freed of the powdery substance. All of Tsukikage's ash was in the air, now, but Zeich was not worried; he had only revealed the most basic of his Zanpaktou's abilities, and there was no way that Kazura could know what else lay in store.

But for now, Zeich had to consider his opponent. Kazura had released his Fullbring again, but at a much more powerful level. There weren't a lot of humans who achieved a second level of Fullbring, and those that did were considered to be fairly strong. Yet Zeich had driven his opponent to release his full power while the Vizard was only making use of his Shikai. Zeich's Bankai and Vizard mask still lay in waiting, abilities that would turn the tide of battle when the time was right. But for now, Zeich had to analyze his opponent, to learn more about him, and figure out when that time was. Without his sight, that would be more difficult, but not impossible; the Vizard had ways of dealing with his disability beyond those he had already revealed.

The first question was simple: What form did Kazura's second-level Fullbring take? The first one had appeared to be armor of some sort, though the man could just have easily been wearing body protection. Assumptions were dangerous, so Zeich went in with the expectation that he knew nothing about the CEO's Fullbring form or abilities. Instead, he would have to scout them out slowly, draw out each individual power that Kazura had hidden within him. And once he knew what he was up against, Zeich could strike far more effectively. He had started off aggressively to gauge Kazura's strength initially, and so far, he had been unimpressed; the Vizard half-hoped that this would not change, so that he could wrap this battle up quickly and get back on his way.

But that was only the first question. The second question was a bit harder to answer: What other abilites did Kazura have access to? Zeich had been shoved back by a pulse of Reiatsu that was almost intimidating in nature, despite his ability to remain calm and push through any sort of fear tactic. Was it part of his Fullbring, or was it a separate technique? Zeich was willing to bet on the latter, given that Kazura had released his second stage only a moment later; if his defense had been that solid, there would have been no need to do so. There was a good chance that the repulsion technique would come up again in the future, and so the Vizard would have to be more careful in his attacks. After all, the last one had been rather detrimental to him.

Zeich's right arm ached, indicating some damage to the muscle and bone. And that was a small wonder; he had been forced to decelerate his attack by the repulsion technique that Kazura had put up, slowing his swing speed enormously as it hit that barrier. It wasn't a complete stop, thankfully, or Zeich was sure his arm would have broken. Still, it was noticeably sore, and the former Shinigami knew it would be best not to push attacks with that arm until it had a short bit to recover. Fortunately he was ambidextrous, albeit with a slight preference to his right arm, so he could still wield a sword as effectively as ever. Haiiro's blade was held confidently in that hand, ready to cut as readily as Tsukikage's had.

Kazura took the few moments of recovery between them to taunt him; a mistake on his part, Zeich felt. If the Fullbringer had attacked, he might have gotten a hit in while Zeich was recovering from the surprise of being repulsed. “You might want to be careful whom you taunt, human.” He threw the words back in Kazura's face. “Wolves have fangs, and you're liable to get bitten.” Even as he spoke, the Vizard was already considering his next course of action. He had to draw out more of Kazura's abilities and learn more about him before he could mount a counterstrike, and so another attack would be required. He wouldn't be doing the same thing as the last two strikes, however; Zeich had another plan to attack his opponent.

Zeich darted forward, but it was at a measured pace, just enough to prevent him from burning excess stamina. He knew that Kazura would be able to react to his attack, and he expected the Fullbringer to. Even as he approached, he mentally willed Tsukikage's ash to flow about him, where it infiltrated his clothing, flowing along his body, and pooled along Haiiro's blade. The Vizard swung his sword at a close range, an attack that would cut across Kazura's neck and remove his head should it connect without being blocked. Zeich expected one of three results with such a basic attack: first, Kazura would attempt to block it with his repulsion technique again, which would lead to another injury like the first. Second, the Fullbringer would block it with another technique, revealing more of his capabilities and giving Zeich more to work with. Finally, he would dodge. Which he did was up to him, but Zeich had planned for each of them.

The Vizard's arm swung around, but what came at Kazura was not a standard sword. A sword wasn't anywhere near as large as the blade that swung at the Fullbringer as Tsukikage's ash pooled together to form an obscenely long yet incredibly light sword in the former Shinigami's hand. Extending even as Zeich slashed out, the blade's length went from that of a standard sword to more than ten times the length. Tsukikage's ash could form incredibly long and deadly weapons at the cost of their density; if Kazura attempted to block or strike the sword, then he would certainly shatter the blade with ease. But Zeich expected the Fullbringer to do so, and in fact, hoped that he would break the sword. For the moment that sword broke or connected with Kazura's body, it would explode into its ashen form and wrap itself around the man's body, coating his torso and head immediately as the rest attempted to cling to his form as well. Pain, along with the siphoning of Kazura's Reiatsu, would be enough to draw out more of his opponent's abilities.

But there was more to this trick than met the eye; the sword that had struck at Kazura had been formed of only four portions of ash, leaving one more hidden on Zeich's person. The Fullbringer couldn't know that, of course; the sword that Zeich had struck with was as long as all five portions put together would have been. He could have made the attack a good deal longer, even with just those four, but the point of this game was deception. So far, Kazura had only seen the ash move in free-form and convert into weapons, so he couldn't know of its true nature. Turning it all into a weapon form was exactly in line with what Zeich had revealed so far, and until the time was right, it was all he would reveal.

Now it was time to see how Kazura would react to this deception. Zeich's senses honed in on the man to determine the results of his actions; what would he do? Would he allow the attack to strike him, coating a good portion of his body in ash? Or would he attempt to break the blade, with similar results? Would he burn Reiatsu on his repulsive technique, burning through his physical and spiritual reserves? Whichever result occurred, Zeich knew that it would be in his favor. A small smile formed beneath his mask as his sword swung about, closing in on Kazura. This was just too easy...

Remaining Reiatsu: 5825/7000 (-50 for Buraindo Jinsei upkeep, -50 for Kaijin Ken)

Shikai: 3/10

Sazanami: 3/3 (Will wear at the end of this post)

[Kazura Uzaki]

The use of Ken was successful in repelling Zeich's extremely fast sword strike, which was a small victory to Kazura. The Wolf's arm would be hurting considerably from that rapid deceleration, but he had two arms and there was no way that he was letting that stop him. Kazura expected better of the former Shinigami who was so confident in his skills, and he definitely showed his determination to test the Fullbringer. However, he seemed just a wee bit hypocritical. While the Vizard thought it fine for him to taunt Kazura, he got offended when the tables were turned on him and he received a taunt. But that wasn't surprising either, seeing as Zeich had always been a little grumpy.

The Vizard charged again, this time using the arm that had not been repulsed by Ken. The length of his blade grew to be ten times the length of a normal sword, yet Zeich wielded it with the same ease as he had carried and swung the shorter blade. A blade of that length could cleave someone in half from toe to scalp if they were lying down, so that was not something that Kazura wanted to tank. Was it possible that his armor could easily take the brunt of the attack that was far weaker to his durability, yes, but Zeich had demonstrated the ability to modify the length of his weapon. If he could extend it, it made sense that he could contort it in any number of ways to try and attack gaps in the armor or something to that nature.

So, Kazura chose to dodge again. But not before using his Fullbring to protect him and block the attack as well. A Kazura-sized Tower Shield made of pure reiatsu formed to the Fullbringer's right side to defend against the giant sword, then Kazura took a step with Bringer Light to the left to get out the way of any potential counter attack with the right hand, though it may be hurt it was not proven to be completely out of the fight just yet. Landing on the ground fifteen feet away from where Zeich was standing, Kazura released another Laser Beam from his chest while preparing another form of attack. He pulled out his guns from their holsters on his side and filled the chambers with bullets of reiatsu formed from his Fullbring.

Once Zeich had dealt with the laser blast, whether it was by dodging it, being hit by it, blasting it away and counter attacking, or any other way of dealing with it, Kazura would fire his two guns at the man's new position. While Zeich had demonstrated that he could move faster than 300 stat speed, the last few exchanges he had held himself back. These bullets were travelling at 600 and 650 stat speed from being fired from the UE1 and the UE2 respectively. Zeich would either be pushed to dodge them with his full speed or use a step technique, either one being draining on his stamina. If he chose to meet them head on, well then he'd find the cutting power of 2,000 to be a little stronger than your average bullet. But they were still just bullets, so they wouldn't leave a large wound, rather just inflict some pain in the chest that was being targeted.

Remaining Reiatsu: 6,975/20,000 (-100 Gate, -600 Creations Evolved Shield, -100 Energy of Life laser beam, -100 Bringer Light, -100 2x Creations Evolved Ammunition)

[Zeich Yajuu]

Zeich felt his attack clash with an object, though he couldn't be sure what it was. His ears had detected nothing rising up from the ground, so it was likely some form of projection. There had been a small flare of Reiatsu, but it wasn't the same as Kazura's previous repulsion technique; Zeich had been able to cut through it easily, before, and this new wall stopped his attack dead in its tracks. Even as he struck the object and was stopped, Zeich broke apart his ashen blade and let it resume its free-flowing form. As far away as it was from him now, easily five to ten feet away, it didn't seem like it would be able to be used to create a new weapon; each of the forms that Zeich had chosen it to take had required it to flow into his hand or onto an existing weapon before shaping itself. This, too, was a deception; the Vizard had the ability to simply form it into a weapon at any point by willing it. But as long as Kazura believed that he had limits, then the Fullbringer wouldn't be able to expect it when the real attack came.

So far, Zeich had drawn out another of Kazura's abilities. This shield he had created had been far more solid than the repulsion technique, but this one didn't push; it was a shield that simply stood as a wall, and judging by the sound of metal ringing out and echoing before the Vizard had broken his blade apart again, it was about the size of a person. Was this a set limit on its size, or could it grow larger? Zeich didn't know what to expect of the shield, but he now knew that Kazura was able to defend against his attacks more effectively than before. This meant that the shield was a byproduct of his Fullbring's second level, as it hadn't come up before; excellent. Fullbring had a versatile form, but its abilities tended to be limited to a set handful, and Zeich had just revealed one of them. He wasn't yet sure what he could do with that information yet, but he filed it away to be used as necessary.

For now, however, Kazura was releasing another beam of energy; Zeich's Sazanami spell had ended, but he still had pretty sharp spiritual senses, and could feel a blast of pure energy coming his way. Sidestepping it was easy enough, though to be on the safe side he moved at his full speed instead of his restricted one. It was extra energy burned, but it was better than getting blasted with unknown effects. The attack would sail past Zeich, and the Vizard would wait; his sharp ears caught the sound of something metallic, two objects to be precise, being lifted from Kazura's waist. Swords? Guns? Whatever it was, Zeich knew that an attack was coming his way. This was confirmed with the sound of gunfire, forcing the Vizard to move. Guns were fast enough to be a threat to even Zeich's top speed, so a Shunpo was required, putting the former Shinigami out of harm's way as he ducked around one side of the bridge's support beam.

Temporarily out of sight, Zeich took the time to renew his Sazanami ripple, placing one hand on the beam behind him and using it as the source of the ripple. He spoke quietly for the incantation to avoid giving away the spell he was using to pinpoint his foe. “Throw the pebble in the pond; ripple across the still waters, trace the boundaries, return. Bakudo #3: Sazanami.” Once more his sonar-like spell was pinging through the area, informing Zeich of the movement of spiritual entities around him. Kazura was lit up like a beacon, his Fullbring coating his body, so it was easy enough to keep tabs on him.

Next, Zeich remotely controlled Tsukikage's ash, causing it to move rapidly towards Kazura. At 700 speed, it was certainly fast, and it traveled through the tall grass around the bridge towards him, slipping through the carpet of green like a shadow. With Kazura's low senses, it would be hard to spot the powdery substance as it spiderwebbed out around him, creating a minefield of ashen death. In fact, the trap would be sprung immediately, or at least in part; a blade would erupt from the ground and stab towards the back of Kazura's knee. Zeich didn't need to see the man to know where his target was; his ability to analyze in battle told him exactly which way Kazura was facing based on his shooting, while his senses and Sazanami pinpointed his location. From there, Zeich's mental control over his ash would be more than enough to target a specific point. It took many factors, but even the Vizard's blindness could be overcome.

If the blade struck, whether it hit armor or not, it would erupt into ash and coat that leg before spreading upwards, connected to its own substance and drawing upon it to cover more of Kazura's body. If unchecked, it would quickly coat the lower half of his torso as well, the ash flowing and seeking openings in the armor through which to spread. It would be enough of a distraction to keep the Fullbringer occupied for a few moments, moments which Zeich would use to set up the last of the factors that would allow him to observe and understand Kazura's abilities wholly. Briefly focusing on the sword still in his hand, the Vizard drew out the lupine spirit that resided within it and, using the Spiritual Projection technique, manifested Haiiro atop the bridge above them. The wolf would give a brief nod to his master before padding quietly along the bridge's length, keeping low to avoid being seen. Between the low light and the wolf's dark coloring, it was unlikely that Kazura would spot him, but it was best to be safe as the wolf mentally spoke to his master, giving an ongoing feed of what his opponent was doing on a visual level.

Now Zeich would have three ways to attune to Kazura's actions; Haiiro, on the bridge, would provide feedback on what he saw, enabling the Vizard to know exactly what sort of effects were coming his way, giving him the ability to analyze them in full. His Sazanami spell would be rippling over the battlefield constantly, keeping Zeich aware of any active spiritual energy and its movements, allowing him to determine their speed and location so that he could adapt to them. Finally, Buraindo Jinsei would increase his senses so that his ability to hear sounds and feel the motions of the air would cover any gaps that the other two left. Between the three, the Vizard had an extensive web of information within his grasp at all times, and he'd use that soon enough. For now, however, he wanted to see how Kazura would react to this new information as the ash in the grass formed blades on its own, away from Zeich. How he reacted could reveal further abilities.

Remaining Reiatsu: 5300/7000 (-50 for Buraindo Jinsei upkeep, -50 for Shunpo, -25 for Sazanami, -50 for Kaijin Ken, -400 for Spiritual Projection)

Shikai: 4/10

Sazanami: 1/3

[Kazura Uzaki]

Zeich dodged the bullets, heading behind one of the support pillars. For some reason, he didn't immediately emerge and attack the Fullbringer again, instead staying back and doing something secretive. That was fine, it gave Kazura a moment to collect his breath and analyze all that had been going on. The ashen blade had exploded outwards once it hit the shield, which the Uzaki found odd. It just exploded and then fell to the ground. The way that Zeich had demonstrated being able to control it to coat his weapons and even stretch and make bigger weapons it just felt... fishy that a simple shield would completely remove the former Shinigami's ability to work with his Shikai product.

Kazura took a moment to just relax and breathe deeply while keeping an eye on the pile of ash to the side of him. He'd been burning a lot of reiatsu and keeping up with some heavily stamina draining techniques. Not only had he been maintaining Gate, but he'd also been using his Energy of Life attack which drained his stamina more than his reiatsu. So, the fullbringer let his Gate down so that he could begin to rest and recuperate while Zeich did something funny behind the pillar. The area had been filled with a low amount of the man's reiatsu, but Kazura had attributed it to his release and not something else. Now as it waned, and then refreshed back to what it was, Kazura didn't know how to explain it, but his energy sensory wasn't really strong enough to pinpoint that it was a Kidou or anything, just enough to note that Zeich's reiatsu wasn't just limited to his own body.

Because Kazura had been keeping an eye on the ash, he was easily able to identify that the pile of the substance moved away, but because it was getting dark he was having a bit of trouble keeping track of it. He had senses that were superior to the average human, so if it had been lighter out he would have easily been able to keep track of the ash, but he wasn't presently able to. So he wasn't prepared for the attack from behind at the back of his knee, but even without Gate his armor had enough durability to be able to take the blow. It was only a matter of time before the ash found its way through any crevices though as it wormed its way around his lower torso.

Kazura suddenly became a Beacon of energy, glowing extremely brightly to Zeich's energy sensory. With Haiiro now on the bridge, he would relay to the former Shinigami that the fullbringer had become ablaze, literally. Kazura was on fire, through the Martial Discipline of Chakra. He was harnessing his Soul into flames that could be imbued in many ways to many of his items and techniques. Right now he was channeling it through his body and armor, systematically searching for the probing ash and clashing with it. As Chakra took the base offensive stat of what it was being channeled through, where the ash came in contact with Kazura's release would find a 1,000 Spiritual Pressure Flame defending the entirety of the armor against it. It wouldn't burn, just keep the ash from probing and getting through to Kazura's flesh.

Kazura was reacting to this probing ash before it could get all the way through the armor, so everywhere on the fullbringer's body would be contesting against Tsukikage's ash. Before Zeich could do too much to assert dominance in the flame vs ash clash, Kazura used Bringer Light to bounce up to the top of the bridge and touch it with his feet before using a second Bringer Light step to shoot straight at Zeich. Channeling Chakra through his feet and into the bottom of the stone bridge, Kazura left a large Batman Symbol in blue flames. This would illuminate the underside of the bridge much more than the far off streetlights and prevent Zeich's ash from being as successful at sneaking up on the fullbringer. They'd probably still be able to pull it off in certain cases, but not all cases.

Meanwhile, the second Bringer Light brought Kazura towards Zeich at 3,900 speed, much faster than the ash could have traveled to get back to the Vizard. Coated in flames, Kazura emerged from his step just above Zeich with his leg raised up high. As he fell, he brought his leg down in a Bringer Flash infused kick. If the 1,500 speed heavily armored and flaming kick struck the Vizard in the head like Kazura intended it would really hurt. Chakra wouldn't burn at all, but it would still hurt to be hit by a full force kick with that momentum in the top of the head. It is probably a good thing to note here that Kazura still has two guns in his hands. He's not doing anything with them, but he is still wielding them and could use them at any time with incredible reflexes.

Remaining Reiatsu: 5,975/10,000 (-50 Bringer Flash, -150 2 step Bringer Light, -800 Chakra)

Main Fullbring Level 2: 3/13
Chakra: 1/20

Back to regular stats.

[Zeich Yajuu]

The next few moments passed quickly, yet thanks to Zeich's network of information, he knew everything to the last detail. He saw through Haiiro's eyes and descriptions that the man had set himself ablaze with Reiatsu-fueled fire, fire that burned across his armor without actually scorching anything. This fire didn't even burn the ash trying to make its way into the man's armor, merely prevented it from penetrating. The flames themselves seemed to radiate with Kazura's Reiatsu, suggesting another defensive technique. Comparative to Zeich's combat style of aggressive attrition, the human's abilities were largely defensive, limiting his offensive potential but giving him durability. However, with as much Reiatsu as he was likely burning for these powerful defenses, his stamina would become an issue shortly. All Zeich had to do was keep a semi-aggressive stance and, as a long as he was careful, Kazura would run out of energy soon enough.

Or at least, that would have been a normal strategy. Here, however, Zeich had no intention of stalling for victory. Kazura, so far, had determined to go all-out; were it not a fight to test his possible ally, Zeich would have been fine letting him burn out. But despite his statement of a killing intent at the start, the Vizard didn't truly want it. He wasn't holding back, no, but at the same time he hadn't unleashed all of his power yet. He had two more secrets he hadn't unleashed: his Bankai, and his Vizard's Mask. Each had their own use; Bankai would provide a good deal more versatility and eliminate the limits of his Shikai through its enormous quantity of ash, while his mask would double his strength. Of the two, the latter seemed as though it would be more necessary to defeat Kazura, as Zeich had not been able to pierce the man's armor with his normal abilities. More power would be necessary.

Guess I have no choice but to commit myself fully to this... Zeich thought as he prepared himself. Concentrating, he began to convert his spiritual strength, the power of his Reiatsu, into more spiritual mass, increasing its quantity. If he had been flexing his Reiatsu at the time, Kazura would have felt it become more ominous and heavy without pressing down on him, like a wave building up but not yet crashing down. But no, all the Fullbringer would detect was that Zeich's Reiatsu was getting weaker, his energy slowly dissipating; in a moment, it was all but gone. Had the Vizard given up the battle? Had the Wolf finally stopped baring his fangs?

That wasn't the case at all, no. Zeich knew that he was stronger than ever, his power completely concentrated in his Zanpaktou now. His golden eyes gleamed with a new fury as he prepared to unleash his full attacks. It was convenient that Kazura had chosen to move at that point, leaping forward and disappearing beneath the bridge, according to Haiiro; Zeich was also tracking the man via his sharpened senses, and he could hear the sound of Kazura impacting the bridge from the bottom. Fear shot through the Vizard for a moment as he suspected a possible attack on Haiiro, but that was alleviated by the wolf's report that the bridge had not been damaged. However, something beyond the wolf's sight was lighting up the area below him, and as a result, Zeich would not be able to be as stealthy with his ashen attacks.

But that didn't matter, if this battle ended here. Zeich could hear Kazura's approach through the shifting air around the man; he was moving fast, but not too fast for the Vizard to detect. Zeich knew exactly the angle at which Kazura was approaching, and he was ready to attack even as the man appeared above him, preparing to strike. What the man couldn't know was that in the few moments during which he had jumped up to the bridge's top, Zeich had exchanged one mask for another; his fake one lay on the ground at his feet, while the one on his face was the genuine article. Though they looked identical, the one that Zeich wore now was truly his Vizard's mask, with golden eyes and black sclera staring out from behind it. Made of the same bone-like substance as a Hollow's mask, it allowed the user to draw upon the full strength of the Hollow in their soul. And as with most Vizards, it brought out an extraordinary amount of strength; Zeich was no exception, here.

As Kazura's leg came down, it seemed to pass through Zeich, as the Vizard activated his Shinkirou technique, allowing him to step away from his spot and then back towards it. This was much faster than his usual, however; rather than the normal 6000 speed that he usually used that the technique with, Zeich had now moved with 12000; even with Kazura's high instincts, there was absolutely no time for reaction as the Vizard returned to his spot, the kick passing through his after-image. Zeich returned one fast attack with another, his hand sweeping out as he arrived with a Shunpo Karin, the last hidden portion of ash on his body forming a sword in his hand even as he did so. Caught in midair and with no way to easily change his trajectory, Kazura would have no choice but to take the blisteringly fast attack, moving at 8000 speed.

If it hit, the blade would slide through Kazura's armor like butter, able to overcome even the man's powerful defenses thanks to the full strength of Zeich's attack. Normally, if this had been any other battle, he would have been dead; the Vizard would have carved his sword all the way through his opponent's body and left the pieces to rot. However, this wasn't an ordinary battle, and as a result, the blade would simply shatter after cleaving halfway through the man's body, dissipating before it hit the lungs, and disappear. Of course, much of the ash would remain within the human's body, at least until Zeich sealed his Zanpaktou again; it would be a last-ditch killing strike if needed. No, this attack would not be fatal... at least, for now.

Stepping back, Zeich's eyes would narrow behind his mask; upon activating it, his sight had been restored to him, as he was now looking through Tsukikage's eyes. However, doing so had deactivated his Buraindo Jinsei technique, as it required there to be no way to see, either via forced blindness or natural. The technique's drawback came with the renewal of sight, and as a result, everything was too sharp, reducing Zeich's senses somewhat. He was still plenty sharp, however, thanks to his Vizard mask augmenting him. It would be enough for now anyway, as he spoke to Kazura. His tone was firm, serious; though, when was he ever not?

“This is who you're asking to join you, Kazura. This is the wolf you want among your sheep: the power of a Hollow. I am no longer a Shinigami, but one who has fallen into the darkness of a Hollow's strength, even if not by choice. Do you really want someone like me around? Answer me honestly.”

Remaining Reiatsu: 4950/20960 (-50 for Buraindo Jinsei upkeep, -300 for SpPr to RS conversion, -400 for Shinkirou (deducted after mask ends), -50 for Kaijin Ken (deducted after mask ends), -100 for Shunpo Karin (deducted after mask ends))

Shikai: 5/10

Sazanami: 2/3

Vizard Mask: 1/3

SPOILER: Click to show

{New Stats}Strength – [300 x 2] (600) Points

Speed – [400 x 2] (800) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [((400 > 599) x 1.75 = 1048) x 2] (2096) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [((200 > 1) x 0.6 = 1) x 2] (2) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct – [200 x 2] (400) Points

Senses – [(200 x 2 = 400) x 0.5] (200) Points

Energy sensory – [100 x 2] (200) Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1800] points

[Kazura Uzaki]

(OOC: I thought that only Vizard Ress had delayed Reiatsu costs?)

Kazura came out of his Bringer Light poised to attack, only to be struck in the chest by an attack that previously couldn't have harmed him. His Fullbring Armor was cut through by the ashen blade that nearly struck his lungs and ravaged his internal organs. But the Vizard held back, and didn't go for the killing strike. Collapsing on the ground, bleeding and out of breath from the intense spiritual and physical stress he had been placing on his body, Kazura gasped for air, knowing that his next breath could potentially be his last.

After all, Zeich had said that he had intended to fight with killing intent. Why then was he holding back? Kazura noticed that the ashen blade that had struck him had not exited his body, which was dangerous and like having his head on the guillotine block, but the fullbringer had exhausted himself and did not have the strength to force his body into a Gate state and force the ash out. But he could still use his powers in a minor form. Drawing a convert-a-weapon from one of his pouches, he formed it into a needle and sewed up his wound with bits of his broken armor that he willed to spool like string.

What resulted was an even bigger weakness into the armor, but Zeich could cut through it anyways so there was no real security in the Fullbring at this time. Getting off his knees and sitting on the ground, Kazura looked the former Shinigami right in the Hollow Eyes as the man talked. Zeich was obviously hurting emotionally, and seemed vulnerable. Or maybe that's just what Kazura wanted to hear. Either way, he gestured to the man and offered him a seat opposite the fullbringer.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that I find the thought of someone harnessing a Hollow's powers to be perverse... but that's mostly why I don't care for my own powers." Kazura was defeated in physical combat, having not been prepared enough to fight at Zeich's level, but that didn't mean that he couldn't still win on a diplomatic level by forming a social bond of camaraderie and maybe even mutual understanding. His own powers were based off of that of a Hollow, like Zeich's Vizard abilities, so he knew a little of what the former Shinigami was feeling.

With a sigh, he looked up at the night sky as his Chakra flames flickered out and allowed the stars to come out in full force. "Two years, two years I spent investigating the spiritual world and rubbing my hands in it before I was put in a situation where I needed the Hollow's power, needed to become a Fullbringer to survive... And while I may despise my former human weakness... I don't regret it. I've come to learn that it's not the power that is inherently evil or wicked, but what you do with the power."

Kazura's Fullbring then dissolved away, leaving the man exposed to anything else Zeich wanted to do. The Vizard would get a good look at the fullbringer's youthful appearance and good looks, through the eyes of Tsukikage of course. A slight trickle of blood dripped from the hastily performed surgery, but Kazura had enough skills to keep most of the wound closed enough to survive to get better care. He did, however, need to wrap bandages around his chest since his sutures had dissolved with the ending of his Fullbring.

"You may call yourself a wolf among the sheep, but by your definition I too am a wolf, one who would wield the Hollow's energies. I would be a worse wolf, since I intentionally chose to let the powers flow through me, in a time of crisis, but intentionally none the less. And while I do not yet know you fully, if you do truly desire to put your powers towards the good of this World, then where else would I want you except by my side?"

[Zeich Yajuu]

The attack struck home, and Zeich felt the brief hesitation of his blade as it impacted armor, flesh, and bone; only his sharp instincts allowed him to stop his attack in time to avoid a fatal injury. The blade shattered, ash still lodged within the Fullbringer's body, but in a disparate form, ready to move through blood vessels or stab into vital organs as needed. However, the former Shinigami did not feel it would be necessary now; Kazura would live this day, not out of a sense of mercy, but because Zeich and not truly intended to kill the man. His intent had been lethal, should it come to a life-or-death match, but until that moment came, the Vizard had intended to simply win, incapacitating his opponent and making his point.

What was his point in the end, though? In the time that they had been fighting, Zeich had not yet figured out exactly what it was that he wanted to know. Originally, he had come with the intent to test Kazura, to find out the man's motivations, and if he was worth following; the Vizard had wandered purposeless for long enough, and he had decided to make something of his exile. But now, something had changed; somewhere in their fight, Zeich had stopped wondering, and had simply begun fighting. Something within him had told him to reveal all that he was, to reveal his hand and show his powers as a Vizard. Maybe it was some shred of morality that hadn't been hidden beneath the mask of apathy that the former Shinigami put up, something that knew it wouldn't be right to conceal that particular condition from Kazura.

But in the end, it said one thing: Zeich had already made up his mind, no matter what he had told himself. He wanted to join up with Kazura. Yet between his previous exile and the doctrine of “Hollow powers are evil” that many Shinigami had drilled into their heads since the Academy, somewhere subconsciously he had been afraid of being rejected simply because he had a Hollow within him that he had not chosen to possess. Perhaps fear was the wrong word for it, but in his head he had been sure that Kazura, knowing that an evil power lay within Zeich, would refuse to work with him. If that was the case, the Vizard would be cast back into the storm of uncertainty that currently surrounded his life, once more without a goal. Yet for that very same reason, Zeich had to show it to him, to bare that truth lest it be discovered at an inopportune time and make things worse.

Fortunately, Kazura was more than understanding. The man understood how Zeich felt about his powers as a Vizard, and understood the hesitation. As his companion talked, the former Shinigami remembered something he had seen briefly when glancing through files, that Fullbringers had their powers based on a Hollow's influence too. However, theirs occurred pre-birth; it was possible that the influence caused the development of one's natural spiritual abilities, rather than actually being created from the Hollow's power, as Fullbring was the power to manipulate and control souls about them. It was a discussion that had no real answer among debaters in Soul Society, but obviously it influenced the view of those who possessed said powers, as Kazura showed.

It seemed that Zeich's Hollow powers were not something that would bother Kazura, at least. The Vizard didn't know how to feel about the reasoning, though; “powers are only evil based on how they are used”? That didn't sit right with him, especially given the loss of control that had led to his exile. Tsukikage was certainly a creature of evil, constantly consumed by the desire to destroy and cause harm; what good could there be in such a creature? And the Hollow's power was a constant threat, a risk that came with the threat of losing control to the dark wolf himself. No, Zeich knew that his power originated in a creature that was, at its basest form, truly evil. How he channeled it could end with a positive result, but the power, in the end, was still evil.

For now, however, Zeich decided not to press the point; he could speak to Kazura if he feared lack of control was a possibility. After all, he had trained under the other Vizards for the express purpose of learning to keep control, and such lessons were not easily forgotten. In the meantime, a decision had been made, and Zeich summoned his ashes out of Kazura's body carefully once the man's Fullbring ended, cautiously acting to avoid worsening the wound. Once they were all extracted, the ashen mass returned to Zeich, who then sealed his Zanpaktou and let the sword slide into its sheath, Haiiro's following a moment later. The Vizard then turned to his companion. “I need a bit more time to think, but right now, we should focus on getting you medical care; humans do not heal as easily as spiritual beings, and I am not skilled in the healing arts myself.” He placed a hand on Kazura's shoulder carefully, Haiiro's eyes still guiding his movement as his mask disappeared, rendering him blind once more. “I can escort you to the medical center of your choice, if you would like, but I cannot accompany you past that point.”

And he kept to his word, taking Kazura to the nearest building of choice, whether it be a hospital or Uzaki Enterprises itself. Haiiro would follow along the entire way, of course, providing directions through their mental link to conceal Zeich's blindness. While Zeich was willing to be open about his Hollow powers to Kazura, some weaknesses did not yet need to be revealed, and so for now this particular fact was left concealed. There were more important matters to attend to first, like the healing of bone, muscle, and skin that the Vizard had sliced through, something that would cripple an ordinary person for months without proper treatment. Kazura would be fine, given that he was a Fullbringer, but he still needed treatment.

Once the Fullbringer had been dropped off, Zeich retreated, not wanting to make himself public. Kazura would be left to deal with his injuries, and “The Wolf” would simply disappear into the night without a trace, leaving nothing behind. In fact, Kazura wouldn't hear from him for another week, as Zeich stayed away to give the man some time to rest and recover. After that week, however, a message would arrive in the form of an unusual visitor; one night, when the entrepreneur was taking a late night in the office, he would arrive to find a familiar wolf waiting for him. It wouldn't be hard to guess the connection to Zeich, even though the Vizard himself had not shown up. The wolf waited patiently for Kazura to adjust to his situation before giving a broad grin and, for the first time in all of their interactions, suddenly speaking.

“So, where do I sign?”

[Zeich Yajuu]

Since this is just a count-up of paragraphs, I'll go ahead and grade it myself to take it off of the queue.

Zeich: 590 TP + 100 for winning = 690 TP
Kazura: 350 TP