Crossroads

[Izo Genzoku]

Thread Title:
Participants: Izo Genzoku, Lucien Dantes
World: Human World
Death Setting: Permanent Injuries Enabled
Rating: R
Location: This battle takes place in Kamagasaki, Osaka in Japan. Noted as the largest slum in Japan, Kamagasaki is home to a lot of homeless people and day laborers. Often, you can find police officers and riot officer patrolling the area and homeless people sleeping in the streets.
Special Conditions: None
Circumstances: For Izo, he recently got a report from one of his squad members about a small concentration of hollows appearing in Kamagasaki, Osaka. This concentration also included a single gillian accompanied by a few regular hollows. Although it was uncommon for a captain to handle a small problem like this, Izo often used these opportunities to find interesting or strong hollows to add to his growing collection of captured spirits. While going to the aforementioned location. He runs in to a certain Quincy looking to handle the same thing...

[Izo Genzoku]

Grumbling as he opened his eyes, Izo had not had a very comfortable night of sleep; he usually doesn't on nights before an expedition or missions. Somehow the aching feeling of worry seemed to inch its way into his subconscious. It wasn't necessarily worried about the dangers of confronting a hollow, he had been through that too many times to be fearful of that. No it was the worry that someone might wonder why he's going in the first place.



The evening before the day in question, Izo had gotten word from his good friend and subsequent squad officer, Aoi Ito concerning a small concentration of hollows in a neighborhood called Kamagasaki in the city of Osaka, Japan. A rather minor case in his opinion, only regarding a Gillian and a few accompanying hollows. They both knew he'd be the one to go see about it, since Aoi and another squad member planned on handling another endeavor, and the existence of an abnormal pocket of spirit energy could suggest one thing, a strong hollow. He thanked her for her info and began to prepare his gear for the following day.



Izo rolled out of bed and instantly perked up once realizing what the rest of his day entailed. He stood up and approached the sink to wash his face… he stopped, and simply stared at his reflection in the mirror... He could see the worry on his own face, how annoying. He grimaced ever so slightly before splashing the cold, startling water on his face and continued to get ready. By the time he was outside it was already lunchtime. That certainly eased a bit of his anxiety as he found a good meal to eat before heading out. Sitting alone with his own thoughts, he started to consider his situation a bit more in detail.



From an outsider's perspective, seeing a lone captain heading out to eliminate a measly group of hollows may be...odd. Of course I could always explain that I can damn well do as I please if questioned, but that seems kinda over the top. Hnnrgh, maybe I'm overthinking this. I'm doing my job; hell, I'm IN the Expedition squad for a reason… Enough of this, time to go before I fucking lose my mind. Izo finished his meal quickly and tossed his hood over his head and concealed the lower half of his face with his mask. Since he couldn't conceal his emotions naturally, then he had to resort to his attire to do it for him.  He also didn't like his Captain status known to outsiders, too risky...



After exiting the Senkaimon, Izo arrived in the city of Osaka. He wasn't quite in Kamagasaki yet, apparently due to the upscale apartments and environment around him. According to the report, Kamagasaki was a slum home to a slew of homeless and police officers. As he started his trek to the location, Izo assured he was aware of his surroundings. It had been a whole day since the report was given to him, so it was possible the hollows had migrated a bit in that time. What was very perplexing to Izo was why there would be any hollows in this location in particular. It could mean, optimistically, that there was a strong spiritual presence residing there capable of capture. However, it could also mean that there were just a higher number of people there than usual, incentivizing the hollows to feed. Either way, the hunt had begun, and whatever the cause of the hollow's presence was would be either captured or eliminated.



Upon reaching the neighborhood itself, the existence of hollows was evident. He hadn't seen any indication that the creatures had migrated, and he could hear a loud screaming and ruckus coming a couple blocks down. Speeding up his pace, Izo walked intensely through the slum, awaiting what lied behind the corner. What he saw, however, was not exactly what he expected. The hollows were indeed there, and my, were they loud. But the source of their outcries was jarring. A...quincy?! What...the hell? Above his concealed face, he gave the golden eyed young man a hardened glare. Although he wasn't afraid of the quincy, worrying thoughts raced through his head; why the hell would a quincy be fighting an insignificant school of hollows in a random slum in the World of the Living? Even though you could ask the same thing of the captain, he obviously didn't have the same motivations as his peers. Would he notice he was captain? Izo immediately covered the captain's haori under his cloak as much as he could as he prepared for the worst.

[Lucien Dantes]

What Izo might have found alarming this day, was that the destruction of the Hollows had not been planned, nor any nefarious purpose. It had been bad luck on the Hollows' part. Japan was a dangerous place for Hollows to be nowadays. Even though Uzaki Enterprises primarily operated solely in the district of Karakura Town, that freed up Shinigami resources to spread out for the purposes of dealing with the wayward spirits. And where Shinigami spread out, the Vandenreich were there to meet them. Whether to eliminate Shinigami officers, or, in Lucien's case, to make a point to the Shinigami. All Vandenreich waged war in the Emperor's name. Some did it very conventionally. Others did it less conventionally. Lucien was of the latter. He viewed it more important to break the spirit and morale of the Shinigami. To break their faith in their own cause that they might see the truth of the Vandenreich and make true followers of the Emperor out of as many Shinigami as possible. Lucien was one who hated violence and killing in all its forms, and the more he could save from their wayward path, the fewer he would have to see die later.

Hollows, unfortunately, were too dangerous to leave alive. While it was true that a Hollow might one day gain sentience as an arrancar, and become capable of understanding the wrongdoing of their path, to become an arrancar, many others would die in the process. Lucien had sympathy for the creatures, but it had to be done. So while he was out in Japan, at a local teashop, upon sensing the appearance of a great number of Hollows, he knew he had no choice. A swarm of Hollows was dangerous to civilians. He had to dispatch it swiftly. 

His search had brought him to the slums of Osaka. A pitiable place. So one might say, but it is not so much worse than anywhere else in the world. It just shows it more openly. Lucien thought sadly, as he found his place on top of a rooftop and generated his bow. The Hollows were congregating and Lucien intended not to let them get any further. Arrow after arrow slung from his bow with unerring accuracy, some of the arrows splitting in mid-air to strike multiple targets. Lucien was not using any of his Bow properties. For the most part the Hollows were low level, and incapable of evading his arrows. Lucien's judgement was swift and precise. As one who hated violence, Lucien aimed to finish a conflict as quickly and efficiently as possible. Each arrow slung found its mark in a Hollow's head, killing the creature nigh instantaneously. And after each arrow was fired, Lucien took a moment, to raise his Quincy cross in solemn prayer for the departed soul. 

As Izo rounded the corner, Lucien had been just finishing his task, a final volley of arrows piercing through the Hollows and laying them low. Lucien sensed the presence of a Shinigami and his eyes fell upon Izo at a distance. They were stern eyes, like those of a military-officer, but as the last Hollow fell, they changed, becoming a gentle and melancholy expression. "Welcome Shinigami. You are several minutes too late." Lucien murmured to Izo in a quiet, softspoken voice. The Vandenreich Captain-Supervisor dropped off of the rooftop and landed on the floor. "I might ask what kept you, but I'm sure you have your reasons. I have yet to see the Gotei 13 respond to these matters as quickly as the Vandenreich do." He added. Lucien wasn't bothering to hide his allegiance. Why would he? Lucien was proud to serve in the Vandenreich. That, and the giant white cloak with the Vandenreich's star emblazoned on the clasp really kind of made no question as to who Lucien was. 

Lucien had a sense for this Shinigami's power. He appeared to be a low ranking officer, by the feel of his reiatsu. It was very low, lower than most Vandenreich privates. Hmm... But there was a strange quality to it. While his reiatsu was weak, and the reserves Lucien could sense were small, there was a certain sharpness to it. Could this be one who had simply abandoned pursuit of the spiritual arts for the physical? Regardless. Lucien wasn't looking for a fight with the Shinigami. "I am Lucien Dantes of his majesty, the Emperor's Holy Vandenreich." The Quincy explained. "And to whom have I the pleasure of addressing?" 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Stats
Strength: 230 (151)
Speed: 400
Reiatsu Strength: 100 (250)
Spirit Pressure: 320 (800)
Light Aura: 100
Dark Aura: 0
Senses: 120
Instinct: 150
Energy Sensory: 100 (250)
Healing Expertise: 80 (52)
Total: 1500/1500

-----

Skills:
Marksmanship: 4
Battle Analysis: 3
Calm Mind: 3
Strength of Will: 1

Spent: 12/15

[Izo Genzoku]

Izo watched as the array of arrows jet into the bodies of the tormented souls. They screeched and howled as they fell one by one. There was no sign of the gillian in question, and the hollows being obliterated were merely there now to look upon in pity and despair, no longer of any interest to Izo in terms of capture. As the last hollow fell, the heavy gaze Izo had sent him was reciprocated, then followed by a gentle stare. Then, the Quincy began to speak. The gentle words of the Quincy only served to anger the apparently late Captain. As he gazed upon the now barren scene, Izo's gaze grew more stern with every word coming from the well spoken archer. This bastard… I just wasted…He inhaled slowly and began to think, ignoring the Quincy's introduction.



What angered Izo most was a couple of things: He had been called out; the same accusation of laziness and lack of haste and professionalism that Izo resented the Gotei 13 for was now levied against him. Secondly, this was an utter waste of time. The whole reason for coming out here was to inspect the nature of the, now long gone, hollows in question. All that worry, anxiety, pent up concern was all for nothing. Izo balled up his fists and began grinding his teeth together. The situation reminded him of a shinigami he once scolded for not fulfilling his duty. This is just like, that day…



Am I a hypocrite…? Am I the very thing I despise...I waited too long. I waited a full DAY to come out here! Why didn't I just leave yesterday? And this bastard...the fucking hubris this guy oozes. Are all Quincy's this damn smug? Maybe I've missed a few folks in my hunting days. Maybe I need some new targets… No... no this wasn't correct. Izo knew that was ridiculous. He was late to the party and got called out on it. It didn't stop his anger from boiling, however. All the things he hated in Shinigami could exist within him, and he couldn't stomach the thought. He unballed his fists and ceased his grinding teeth. Enough thinking had been done now.

Izo looked back up to hear the words "...pleasure of addressing?" Izo scanned the man up and down silently as he began to walk towards him. He was much short- well everyone is shorter than Izo. His build was slim and slender, and his attire was much more sleek and clean looking than Izo's was. He didn't like the look on the Quincy's face; it was almost like he was looking down on him, ironically enough. As Izo arrived directly in front of the man, he looked down, straight into the Quincy's soul and bellowed, "My name is Izo Genzoku. And you, my friend," he continued while slamming his 7ft sword right beside the Quincy's left foot, "have made today a really bad fucking day." Under his cloak, Izo was flexing his entire body. Many opponents were faster than him, so just in case the Quincy didn't take to kindly to his tone, he was prepared. Izo's gaze did not falter; he wanted a beatdown, or a surrender.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Strength - [250-[1625] Points

Speed - [150] -[45]Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400]-[120] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [100]-[30] Points

Light Aura - [25] Points

Dark Aura - [75] Points

Instinct - [50]-[75] Points

Senses - [50]-[25] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Skills:
2-Pain Tolerance (after 3 from Type)= 4
1-Street Fighting
2-Battle Analysis
2-Lack of Fear
3-Bleeding Tolerance
4-Damage Recovery

Total SP: [1000] Points

 

[Lucien Dantes]

The Shinigami appeared lost in thought. His expression suggested more than a little displeasure at Lucien's presence. The Vandenreich supposed it was only natural. Shinigami and Vandenreich were often natural enemies. What a shame that was. The Shinigami roared his name at Lucien and swung his massive sword. To Lucien's eyes, the attack was practically in slow motion. Much slower than I would have expected. Lucien thought. Still, it is best I make sure my hypothesis isn't wrong. Izo Genzoku... If Lucien wasn't wrong, one of his ears in the Soul Society had mentioned that was the name of the new Captain of the Third Division, wasn't it? It could just be a coincidence. The reiatsu and the speed did not match Lucien's expectations of a Captain. But he had to be certain.

Lucien's response was, at least to Izo's eyes, incredibly quick. The Quincy moved so quickly his body seemed to become little more than a blur, as he kicked off the ground and flipped into the air, to land on a nearby rooftop observing the outcome of Izo's tremendous swing, which had likely created a massive crater in the street. If so Lucien's guess would be confirmed. I see. So that's what it is. Reiatsu quality, amount, speed, even skill. All sacrificed for immense strength. The Quincy gave a sad sigh. "Are you certain you want to do this. I do not like senseless and unnecessary violence, Mr. Genzoku." A black bow appeared in Lucien's hand. Lucien had not created an arrow to fire just yet, and the look on his face was clearly reluctant. "Unlike my brothers and sisters in our most Holy Order, I prefer diplomacy to death. I'll give you this one chance to put up your blade, and talk sense. I do not wish to have to kill you." He requested of Izo.

A moment after Lucien made this request, the Vandenreich staggered and began to heave, covering his mouth as best he could, hacking coughs emanating from him. "Apologies for that display..." He said after his fit of coughs subsided. "I am not the pinnacle of health, I am most afraid." He added. The look on his face right now was tired and melancholy. It didn't at all look like the face of someone who could be a killer, nor the face of someone who had just killed dozens of Hollows mere minutes ago. It wasn't the face of a warrior or a soldier. Lucien took one moment to check his uniform to make sure his fit of coughing hadn't caused him to soil the uniform at all. As a member of the Vandenreich, he took his pure white uniform as a symbol of the Vandenreich itself. He did not take lightly to any damage or harm befalling it. "I am also curious as to why you are so angry. Are you unhappy that the Hollows were eliminated? Unhappy that no more innocent lives will be taken by these particular creatures?" Lucien asked. "I do understand that Soul Society takes issue with our particular means of destroying Hollows. Do you regret their demise then?" He asked. "That is well if it is true-- I regret their end as well. Taking a life is never a pleasant thing, whether it be human, Shinigami, Quincy or Hollow. It is a cold, unhappy necessity. But that is simply the reality we live in." He finished as he watched for Izo's next move.

Stamina Posts: 1

[Izo Genzoku]

The Quincy quickly darted away from the slamming of Izo’s sword as the point of contact fractured the entire street, deep cracks stretching in every direction causing some of the terrain to rise and drop. As the Quincy landed and started to speak, Izo dragged his sword out of the earth and chuckled. “Am I certain? I’m certain you just erased many beings you knew nothing about. I’m certain you didn’t know the names of a single one of the souls you expunged from existence. And I am beyond certain that once I get my hands on you, I won’t regret my decisions here today." 


Izo would’ve continued had the Quincy’s coughing fit not surprised him. I know damn well a sick man isn’t yapping away at me. Izo began to laugh a bit as the man apologized for the outburst. I got here later… than a man heaving up a storm mid-confrontation. As Lucien questioned him, Izo’s laughter quieted and his face returned to its previously disgruntled appearance. Izo took this bit of time to think about a game plan. The man was fast indeed, at least compared to Izo, so the use of Shunpo was definitely in order. The bow signified a long range fight, so Izo-



“-simply the reality we live in.” Izo seemingly began to boil. Removing the mask from his face and revealing his deep scar, Izo explained. “What would you do if you were erased from the world in an instant? Better yet, what if it was upon seeing you that you were immediately dispatched of… I’m angry because the hollows you just killed had lives, like you and me. I’m angry that, had I been a bit quicker, I could’ve saved more humans, the hollows, and eliminated you. Ultimately, I’m angry that these fucking blunders have allowed those damn Shinigami an extra day on this ea-.” Izo had said too much. Holding his sword in one hand, he outstretched his arms in a welcoming gesture while walking towards the rooftop the Quincy listened from, proclaiming, “Now, I suggest you ponder your approach, because if you don’t move, I’ll come up there and drag your body across this neighborhood.”

[Lucien Dantes]

Lucien accepted Izo's raging criticisms without rebuke. Simply acceptance. "I'm certain I did not either. And would again. It is my duty to do so, just as it was yours." Lucien replied. "Apart from our methodologies, and a matter of efficiency, we are practically one and the same, Mr. Genzoku. However, the Shinigami have proven inadequate at the task that they have taken responsibility for. This very moment is simply evidence of that." Izo appeared truly furious with Lucien, but his rage didn't find any purchase against the Quincy, his admonishments and anger deflecting off of Lucien's quiet acceptance.

Izo posed his question as to what Lucien would do if he was erased from the world in an instant. "I don't imagine I'd be doing much of anything." He replied.

The Captain continued his barrage of frustrations at Lucien who took each one in stride. "Do not presume I do not grasp the weight of what I have done, but it is necessary." He countered, but noted a peculiar note in Izo's train of thought. "No, please continue." He offered, feeling that Izo's anger was not directed at him entirely. Lucien suspected he was just a catalyst for something much bigger. "It is sounding increasingly as though you are a Shinigami that may well be worthy of salvation." He noted. "I do not usually hear Shinigami speak about their peers in such a tone. What troubles you, Izo Genzoku?" He asked.

Lucien hadn't let down his guard, but he didn't take an aggressive action as Izo approached the rooftop. He took his time. He even ignored Izo laughing at his coughing. Perhaps Lucien acknowledged the humor in breaking down in a coughing fit mere moments after making such a declaration. Izo was still a little bit blind in his eyes, but Lucien saw some potential in him. Potential to realize the failings of the Shinigami. He seemed self-aware that he had not gotten here in time, but did not seem to wholly blame himself. That was good. That was what Lucien hoped for. It wasn't Izo's fault he was here. It was the fault of Soul Society and their well meaning, but critically flawed system. Lucien was filled with the surprising ray of hope that perhaps he could prove that to Izo here and now. Only time would tell. For the moment, he allowed Izo one last chance to put away his sword. If Izo refused, well....

Lucien visualized his response in his mind. Izo was not very fast, and his spiritual abilities were weak. But he was very strong. It was unlikely that Lucien would be able to match his strength head on. Lucien was using his bow-- Izo would probably expect him to fight at a distance like most Quincy, but in truth the distance between them was about as far as Lucien would ever want. Fighting at long ranges increased his target's reaction time. And if Izo was a Captain... he would find ways to compensate for his lower speed. Lucien was considering which option at his disposal would be best for bringing the Captain down, if it came for it. Go for the head. That was his first rule of battle, to ensure a swift ending. Izo would probably be killed by it, true, but Lucien preferred a clean kill. At the end of the day, Izo was an enemy combatant. And although Lucien would rather he not have to kill Izo.... It may ultimately prove to be my duty to do so... He reminded himself somberly.

Izo had threatened to come up here. It suggested he probably didn't have much in the way of ranged combat either. Lucien decided to surprise the Shinigami though. As Izo walked towards him, arms open like some gladiator of old, asking for applause, Lucien quietly dropped off the rooftop and faced Izo on the ground. He didn't charge in or anything and was still several feet out of the reach of Izo's sword, but he was at least on the ground. There was no sense in letting the building behind him suffer more damage than it had to, from a missed sword swing, and Lucien calmly walked out in a semi-circle until only the road was behind him, limiting the damage Izo would do with a missed swing. Lucien would rather collateral damage be reduced to a minimum if at all possible. It did seem like Izo was sure of this. But even so... Lucien was very much in the habit of giving people last, last chances.

[Izo Genzoku]

Izo finally grasped it. Izo now had some semblance of who he was dealing with. This man wasn’t like the others, the Shinigami. Nor was he like his peers, the Quincy. He understood the consequences and full weight of the decisions he had made, and was completely steadfast in making them. “Worthy of salvation, huh… Hopefully. I’m not like my peers, despite how it looks. Most of them are dead to me. And if I sat here and told you what troubled me, this conversation would outlive all the humans in this city…” Izo was...perplexed by this man. But that wonder would have to wait; he could respect this man, but the time for talking was now over. Izo gripped his sword hard and sighed. It looked as though his first opponent in a while wouldn’t be a Reaper after all.



The wind around the two combatants blew ever so slightly, jostling their cloaks gently. Subtle bits of concrete crossed the street from the cracks created in the ground. The sun hid behind the clouds in the sky, seemingly afraid of the ensuing violence. The men's gazes never shifted, each one observing the others movements closely. Seconds passed without a flinch... then the sun worked up the guts to reveal its shine upon the battlefield once again. A single ray appeared in front of Izo; he turned his blade to shine the light in Lucien's eyes for a split second.

He acted quickly. Izo used Shunpo to, instead of traveling, slam his foot forward quickly and swing his sword in Lucien’s direction sending a blast of force the Quincy’s way, cutting off the area behind him so he couldn't backstep. Izo also prepared to use another flash step while gripping his sword with one hand and outstretching his other hand. If he couldn’t backstep, Izo would move wherever his next location would be and attempt to grab the Quincy and crush whatever piece of him he got. If that didn’t work, he’d use his sword in his other hand to send another shockwave his way. It was a simple three step plan. He didn’t want to use his Shikai quite yet, he had to gauge his opponent as much as possible before that.

Reiatsu Pool: 1100/1200 
2 uses of shunpo= -100 reiatsu

[Lucien Dantes]

Lucien shook his head. "How very sad that you feel you must say such things." He said to Izo, as he approached. "I would rather see a place where you could take pride in your comrades. Is this a new thought to you, or have you felt this way a long time, Mr. Genzoku? And if it is something you have fought with for a long time... what drove you to pick up the Zanpakuto, when there were other paths? Did you believe you could correct Soul Society from within? Do you still believe that?" He asked as his enemy approached him. And an enemy he was-- Lucien recognized the tightening of the grip that proceeded a swing.

Izo launched into a Shunpo. The maneuver was fast, but unfortunately for him, even with Shunpo, Izo's speed only accelerated to around 450-- barely faster than Lucien. It was a speed slow enough that Lucien could track the movement, and not be taken off-guard by it. However, Izo's use of the technique was interesting, only bursting forwards with a quick stutter-step. Lucien's answer was to spring off the ground anticipating that Izo was going to deliver a microquake through the earth with such a powerful step. He watched Izo's sword flash through the air as well, and Lucien generated a platform of air ground to spring quickly to the right in order to evade the attack which would likely have torn through the air. Izo would likely recognize that Lucien was moving casually at speeds comparable to his own Shunpo technique without the need for one himself. The Captain-Supervisor of the Vandenreich, offered only a heavy sigh.

"How regrettable. Very well. If you insist on being my enemy, then I shall perform the duty of a soldier when he is faced by his enemy." Lucien told Izo. His face changed in an instant. His mouth set into a hard line, and his eyes were no longer sad and gentle. Though there was, perhaps, if one looked deep enough, still a trace of the melancholy persona of Lucien, these eyes were set and determined. The eyes of someone ready to see their task through to the end. It was a strange thing but for Lucien, in order to carry out his task, he often found that he had to become a different person. Rigidly setting his mind to the elimination of the enemy. Grieving and sorrow at his task could come later. When it came to fulfilling his obligations and responsibilities, he could not allow personal feelings to get in the way of what he had to do.

Lucien noticed Izo launch into a second Shunpo. Though Izo was moving slightly too fast for Lucien to make out exact details, Lucien had encountered many who used their Step Techniques as a charging attack and it appeared that Izo was utilizing such a tactic. With that formidable strength if Izo landed a blow on Lucien it would doubtless be quite devastating. So Lucien ensured he would not be struck. The gap in speed was enough that Lucien didn't lose track of Izo while he was in mid-Shunpo. Step techniques had a major weakness-- with a small handful of exceptions, once one devoted themselves to a course, it was difficult to change track or adjust to movement along said course. As such, Lucien was able to predict Izo's trajectory, and quickly launched himself aside-- again to the right to avoid stepping back into the path of Izo's prior shockwave. Just in case.

Izo's attempt to grab the Vandenreich General would result in him snatching at the air, and when he arced his blade to slash at Lucien anyways, the Vandenreich Quincy ducked low, planting one hand on the air ground to help support his body weight, the swing sweeping over his head, and by extension, the shockwave. Lucien had grasped Izo's speed fairly well by this point, and Izo had little chance of catching him with his regular swings. Lucien was nearly ten times faster than Izo, making the Quincy's own movements seem nearly akin to a step technique to Izo. Lucien also took note that Izo was surprisingly deft with his massive sword, transitioning from blow to blow as another might do with a much smaller and lighter blade. Both things that he intended to keep in mind. Now that he had gathered information on Izo, it was time to strike back. Even from his lowered position, Lucien began to draw in reishi from the surrounding area. Lucien's Quincy Cross and his earring began to glow brightly as they drew in reishi.

The first thing that Izo would notice was Lucien's apparel had suddenly changed. He was no longer in the Vandenreich whites, but had instead suddenly summoned a suit of black plate armor around his body. This was Lucien's bow property. His black bow had disappeared as well. Lucien, still braced with one hand against his air ground, extended an open hand and a bolt of white light exploded out of it-- a Quincy Arrow  aimed right at Izo's torso. Lucien was only about five feet away from Izo, meaning that while Lucien was still technically within reach of Izo's sword, it would be difficult to attack Lucien with his shockwaves. It also meant it would be almost impossible to evade Lucien's arrows which flashed out at speeds even faster than Izo's Shunpo. Lucien quickly fired two more arrows from the same hand as he regained his footing and tried to circle around Izo in the air, so that each of his arrows came at a slightly different angle from the others, all intersecting at Izo's torso. 

Lucien had done something else though, that Izo wouldn't likely realize. While Lucien was currently in a suit of armor-- a very obvious change, what was not clear was that Lucien's arrows were not normal. Lucien had activated his firing property as well as his form property, and each of his arrows was leaving an invisible trail of reiatsu in the air. What that trail was? Izo would find out soon enough, but in essence, Lucien's firing property enabled him to continue firing arrows from any point a previous arrow had passed through, up to three times. Lucien was proving elusive and quick, and Izo would find it difficult to keep up with his speed, if not nearly impossible. Fortunately, as a Captain, Izo would probably be able to find a way to withstand or defend against this attack. But even with his muscles, he wasn't entirely invulnerable, and Lucien would keep looking for his chance to get a finishing blow on Izo at any opportunity.

Reiatsu Remaining: 8000/8000
-100 for activating Form Property
-150 for activating Firing Property
-150 for three Class 3 arrows
+400 Reiatsu for Spirit Fragment and Quincy Cross with two properties active

Stamina post: 1

[Izo Genzoku]

Izo watched as his plan was met with counter after counter. The Quincy danced around each attack; a dodge here, a duck there, Lucien was most certainly no slouch of an opponent. What's more, he was on another planet in terms of speed. It wasn't even a contest, Izo knew at this point he wasn't going to hit the man with his sword point blank. Once his last shockwave was deftly evaded, Izo watch as his opponent's attire completely shifted.



His opponent's cloak and typical Quincy gear were lost and replaced with a suit of sleek, black plated armor. Izo landed on the rooftop as he watched a fast, white arrow barreling straight for his chest. As the arrow flew, two more of its kind followed while Izo watched Lucien start to circle him. His eyes grew wide for a moment, but he remained calm and thought of a tactic. He knew dodging the projectiles was an impossibility. So in response, Izo flexed his entire arm, balled his fist as tightly as possible and, instead of blocking the arrows, punched at Lucien who was about five feet away in the same direction the arrows were coming from with his massive wingspan.



This served two purposes: Firstly, this allowed him to smash the arrows out of the air with his sheer might, given that his strength outclassed the strength of his opponents reiatsu. Secondly, this sent his fist flying towards the Quincy, prompting him to dodge and interrupt the circling that was being attempted. Noting Lucien's impressive air mobility, he expected Lucien to dodge backwards due to the fact that the punch only went so far and he could easily move out of the range and speed of the attack. With that being a possibility, Izo would chant the release command of his Shikai, "Unveil a Black moon, Tenzai Shinzen!" This would extend the blade to a preposterous 13 ft in length.

The worn, tattered look of the blade would vanish, revealing a shiny, polished blade with a black opal for a pommel. If all went well, with Lucien dodging, Izo would stomp on the roof quickly and with an increased range, slice in a full 360° motion. The speed would be the same, as Izo has practiced with the sword at both lengths. Not only would this slice reach 13ft, but the same shockwaves as before would jut out in all directions, with Izo having to take a quick breather afterwards. With all of that being done, he would hope the Quincy would be too busy dodging to take advantage of Izo's need for a quick respite.


Reiatsu Pool: 900/1200
Activation of Shikai= -200 Reiatsu

[Lucien Dantes]

Lucien quietly took in Izo's answer to his attack. Defending against all three arrows would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, between both their speed and different angles, forcing Izo to transition between positions extremely quickly in order to defend them. Fortunately for Izo, even if he missed an arrow or two, his flex defense would serve him well here in mitigating the damage, but Lucien still had one last surprise for him. As Izo threw his punch into Lucien's arrow, rather than being smashed out of the air, the arrows exploded on contact, risking catching most of Izo's upper body in the blast. The other two arrows would also explode on contact with him as well. With Izo's flex defense he wouldn't take much damage, but it would certainly still slow his reactions a hair. It was pretty difficult to fight with any level of agility if you were tensed up with your whole body in a flex, after-all.

As far as Izo's punch threatening Lucien though, Lucien did not, for a moment, expect his arrow to stop the punch. Izo struck him as a gritty fighter. With that speed of his, he must be no stranger to having to take a hit to land a hit. As such, Lucien refused to stop moving. Though his visor'd face now could not betray any emotions, he was focused, and attentive. Rather than dodge backwards, Lucien suddenly reversed his rotation and dodged the opposite way that he had been circling, the punch harmlessly swiping the air. Lucien was both an aggressive and cautious fighter. Although it sounded paradoxical, Lucien took into account what his opponent could do and factored it into his responses, while looking for ways to maintain a highly aggressive approach against his opponent. Lucien did not discount that Izo's punch could be delivering a shockwave along its path, and therefore, dodging backwards was something Lucien considered should only be seen as a last resort.

Lucien's arrow attack had also clued him in to something else about Izo. His strength had exceeded expectations. His arrows would have barely inflicted any damage at all! Lucien realized at that moment, that sterner measures were going to be called for. It was time to amp up the pressure on Izo. Now that Lucien had reversed his rotation he saw Izo's reiatsu spike. He was preparing something. Some kind of big move. Behind his visor, Lucien's eyes narrowed. Based on his level of reiatsu it is not likely an attack. He is going to release his Zanpakuto. And sure enough, there was Izo's release phrase and his weapon transformed in an instant. Near thirteen feet in length. It was quite a massive blade indeed. A truly mighty spectacle. "Tenzai Shinzen." Lucien repeated, his voice now sounding harsher, and metallic through his visor. "A fine name, for a fine blade."

However, all did not sadly go as planned for Izo. As he stomped down on the roof and began his slash, two things would happen. The first was that another pair of explosive flashs hurtled from both of Lucien's hands, aimed directly for Izo's wrist, clearly intending to intercept his swing before he could even start it. The second-- only perceptible if Izo had an adeptness at sensing reiatsu, was that Lucien's reiatsu had just drastically spiked. His arrows were nowhere near as weak as they had been before. If they successfully struck Izo's arm and wrist, while he was beginning his swing, they would explode, just as the others had, but the force of the blasts was substantially greater-- twice as strong in fact. Lucien had just activated a technique known to those who dwelled in the Human World as "Gate". In exchange for making his abilities significantly more taxing, Gate amplified the user's spiritual pressure and reiatsu strength massively. While Lucien's arrows still did not quite reach the equal of Izo's raw strength, they now came frightfully close, and if Izo expected to be able to simply shrug them off as he had Lucien's previous volley, he was in for a rude awakening.

If by some chance, Izo still managed to execute the swing, however, Lucien kicked off the air again, to dodge upwards instead of to either side, leaping above the massive swing, and avoiding the shockwave through vertical movement instead of horizontal. While still in midair, Lucien unleashed another bombardment of arrows at Izo-- this time firing a total of two arrows from an upward angle. But Lucien snuck in a third, from an angle that Izo likely wouldn't anticipate. If Izo held his position after his swing (successful or unsuccessful, depending on the result of Lucien's attack on his arms), a third arrow would materialize, seemingly out of thin air less than two feet away from Izo immediately firing directly at the Shinigami's head. Standing still was a death sentence against Lucien, thanks to his firing Property-- Echo. Simply put, each of Lucien's arrows left an invisible trail in the air, which he could use to fire up to three arrows from. With his Schrift of "Command" Echo allowed Lucien to take command of the space of the battlefield. Fighting anywhere near a point that one of his arrows had previously passed through was a frightfully dangerous affair, as it meant Lucien could attack from a massive myriad of angles.

It would become quite clear though, that Lucien respected Izo's abilities enough to try to distract him first. One didn't become a Captain without having some basic fighting instincts. Lucien had hoped his airborne arrow attacks at Izo would draw Izo's attention upwards, such that Izo's reaction to his Echo'd arrow would be just a hair too slow, potentially allowing Lucien to score a critical injury on the man. Lucien's arrows were already flying too quickly for Izo to simply dodge evade or defend against without prediction. When Izo was fighting on a hairsbreadth of timing to defend against Lucien's attacks, a hairsbreadth of a difference could well be all it took.

Regardless, Lucien had not developed his reputation for low casualties without being thorough. He would never inherently assume the success of any action he took. His demeanor hadn't changed, his spirit fragment and cross still drawing in reiatsu. His mind? Lucien's mind was still delving through possibilities. Planning his next step, taking what he would learn from Izo's responses and using them to formulate new plans. Lucien had been gifted the Schrift of Command by his majesty. And he meant to live up to the expectations given by such a Schrift. A commander did not underestimate his adversary, and a good commander never stopped making contingency plans. Preparing for the worst case scenarios.

Reiatsu Remaining: 7800/8000
-100 reiatsu for maintaining Gate
-500 reiatsu for five Class 3 Arrows with Gate active
+400 reiatsu from Spirit Fragment and Quincy Cross with two properties active.

Stamina Post: 2


Current Stats under influence of "Gate"
Reiatsu Strength: 500
Spirit Pressure: 1600

[Izo Genzoku]

The pain was light, but it was pain nonetheless. As the arrows exploded against his arm and chest, he watched as Lucien swayed effortlessly in the air, gliding swiftly in the opposite direction from Izo’s punch. His fist hit nothing but air. As he planted his foot and began his swing, two white arrows flashed in the corner of his eye. Izo roared and tried to force his swing through the arrows, but the ensuing explosion was much larger than before. The force slowed the swing down immensely, and the backs of Izo’s arms became burned and bruised. What the hell was that?



The barrage didn’t end there, however. While Izo’s momentum was stalled and his attack had been impeded, the Quincy jumped overhead and fired another assortment of arrows. Izo thought of an idea; he would block the top of his head with the sword and use his strength to jump up, exploding the arrows on his sword. As he motioned to hold the sword on his head, another arrow suddenly materialized out of thin air, only a couple feet from Izo’s face. His eyes grew wide; What the FUCK?? Izo thought quickly. Slammed his feet, and thus his entire body, through the roof, cascading down into the dark room of whatever building they were fighting on top of. Having dodged the arrow closest to his face, the downward pointing arrows came down upon him, the impact of the explosions falling upon his sword still situated atop his head.



In the darkness of the building, Izo took a well needed breath. This...shit...is ridiculous, he thought to himself. Every attack he’d thrown so far had been evaded gracefully, and it was proving annoying and bothersome. Izo never had a good grasp on the abilities and power of the Vandereich, or really any Quincy for that matter, so this kind of pushback was news to him. But, Izo was accustomed to fighting people faster than himself; that was practically every opponent. Izo took a long, deep breath, and exploded into action.



For Lucien, the entire scenery had changed. Izo activated his only Shikai ability, Worlds Intertwined: Black Eclipse; overshadowing the sun’s mighty rays, an anomalous black moon casted a night-like environment across the makeshift battlefield. Two endlessly tall trees grew from within the street, letting leaves as white as the arrows Lucien wields fall in the breeze. This made the entire area dark which hid Izo’s movements quite well. While inside the dark building, Izo quickly tied his cloak to his sword, and took one of his boots off. If he was going to get the upper hand in this battle, he would have to think outside the box.



Shrouded in his own darkness, Izo masked his spiritual presence as much as possible and threw his cloak-connected sword through the side of the building, making it appear as if he’d broken through the wall to continue fighting. Through the actual front door of the building went his boot, busting through loudly. As he threw these items simultaneously, he flexed his legs and feet as hard as possible, and used another shunpo, jumping through the already created hole in the roof faster than standard jump or shunpo could normally take him. With the two distractions and himself encapsulated in darkness, the movements would be harder to see; he headed towards Lucien as fast as his body would take him, and attempted to grab a hold of any piece of him, just like before. He would remain silent all the way up; this plan needed covertness to work at all. If this failed as well, in whatever direction the Quincy dodged, he’d clap his hands and send a large shockwave that way while falling to the ground. Izo vowed to get the upper hand somehow, he just didn't know how it would come about.

Reiatsu Pool: 750/1200
-100 Reiatsu from Worlds Intertwined: Black Eclipse
-50 Reiatsu from Shunpo

Shikai Posts: 1

[Lucien Dantes]

Izo’s creative defense of slamming his foot down to break the rooftop would spare him a direct hit from Lucien’s arrow, but the miss would be so narrow that the arrow would likely still graze the top of his head. In an attempt to capitalize on this, Lucien willed his new arrow to detonate as well. Even while falling, the explosion would likely be too large for Izo to completely avoid this time, though it would also accelerate his fall, allowing Izo time to intercept the other two arrows which exploded against his sword, with the same enhanced force as before.

It turned out that standing still against Lucien was a death sentence. With Echo enabling Lucien to fire from any point a previous arrow had passed through, while it made his firing points somewhat predictable for someone who could figure out his ability, it did not make them any less dangerous. So long as an opponent stayed stationary, Lucien could near endlessly rain down assaults from all directions on them, and even Izo’s strength—in fact even if Izo flexed to defend himself, would be worn down eventually by such an onslaught. With Lucien’s spirit fragment and cross continuing to draw in reiatsu on top of that? Lucien could seemingly keep up such an attack endlessly. Or well. So it seemed. In truth, Lucien couldn’t do such a thing, as the Vandenreich’s poor health limited the amount of time he could fight.

Already, Lucien could feel his illness creeping up on him, which culminated in the Vandenreich breaking down into series of dry coughs, which were, like the rest of his voice, through his helmet, metallic and reverberated almost ominously. It might have been the slightest bit intimidating if not for the image of the black armored knight looking like he was having a heart attack. But thankfully, Lucien was hopeful that Izo hadn’t seen that part, and had only heard it.

Either way, as Lucien broke down in coughs, he saw the environment change as if night had abruptly fallen. An interesting ability… Lucien thought as his chest heaved in the aftermath of his chronic coughs. He thought he could taste iron in his mouth, his throat stripped raw enough that he might have been coughing up the slightest bit of blood. It didn’t matter. Lucien was composed and capable. Still though. He realized he should probably take a moment to recuperate his strength so that his illness did not risk snatching away what could have been a certain victory for him. Izo was certainly strong. His resilience and strength was worthy of a Captain, but he was lacking in most other areas, and Lucien expected he could wear Izo down quite quickly now, given just a few more moments of sustained attacks. But first he’d need to locate him. Izo had dropped into the building he had been standing on, while Lucien stood in the air. It would be difficult for Izo to approach him stealthily right now.

And Lucien indeed had to be judicious and cautious not to give Izo an opening. Izo struck Lucien as the type to adhere to the adage that it didn’t matter who landed the first blow, it mattered who landed the last one. With Izo’s immense physical strength, Lucien doubted many could afford to be hit by him. No doubt Izo was used to enduring significant punishment until his opponent made a mistaken. Lucien was going to make sure that didn’t happen. He was meticulous in his planning. He clamoured for the title of Sternritter W: The Warmaster, after-all. A tactician didn’t make a blunder like that against an opponent whose speed he outmatched so drastically. He noticed that Izo’s reiatsu signature had disappeared. With how feeble Izo’s reiatsu was, it would take him a moment to locate it if he focused. He is going to attempt to attack me out of stealth…. Lucien considered. From where though?

Lucien realized he had a simple enough solution to handle that particular tactic. Granted, it involved a small gamble, but the risk was low enough that Lucien expected he’d be able to handle any tricks on his opponent’s part. He presumed Izo likely did not possess an aptitude at sensing spiritual energy. Which meant this trick might just work.

. . . .

Izo’s attacks to distract Lucien blasted the wall and door of the building open. The black armored figure in the air’s head snapped about to look at the direction of the door, then the wall, holding out an arm to blast an arrow whichever direction Izo came. Two loud noises in this dark night? Then they’re both diversions. Lucien determined, but he targeted the angles for both marks to make Izo believe his tactic was going well. If Izo had made only one noise, it might have confused Lucien as to which way he was going to come. It might have had a chance of distracting Lucien into believing that the head-on berserker he’d been battling was going to come through the wall to attack him. But by making two sounds at two different angles at once, it only proved to Lucien that Izo’s attack was unlikely to come from either angle. Izo seemed a stern man who was nobody’s fool. He wouldn’t gamble his entire plan to mitigate Lucien’s speed on a 50/50 chance that Lucien would guess correctly. No… he’d make sure there’d be no chance that Lucien could anticipate his attack with a random guess. And that meant that neither sound could be trusted. He was going to come from a third angle.

Sure enough, Izo’s black cloaked figure launched itself through the roof. He wasn’t perfectly silent—without explicit training in stealth, a leap like that was still slightly audible, but his black cloaked form made an exact counter difficult to see. Lucien’s arm snapped down as if to fire an arrow at him at point blank range—he wasn’t dodging. That should have been Izo’s first clue that something was off. Lucien had been highly evasive until now. Why wasn’t he dodging? He’d get his answer soon enough. One of the weaknesses of Shunpo, was that once one engaged upon their course, they could no longer break it. Izo couldn’t redirect in mid-leap or anything like that. His attempt to grab Lucien’s arm succeeded—and his hand passed right through, the arm shredding into fragments as he did so. If Izo went to finish his combination technique, with the thunderclap attempt, Lucien’s entire form would be blown away. But even with Izo’s true strength he’d realize something was terribly, terribly wrong. There was no resistance. None. Not the sound of armor crumpling under the force of his blow. Not so much of a gasp of pain or shock. No blood, no viscera. Nothing.

And then Izo’s world would explode as four arrows erupted out of the air again, pelting him with shots from behind and below him. Like before, Lucien was using Echo to make the shots, the arrows erupting out of thin air, mere feet behind Izo for a series of point-blank shots. It would be almost impossible for him to maneuver his sword quickly enough to intercept the shots as they would aim to pierce his back, riddling Izo with holes, as they went to pierce into vital organs. Lucien wasn’t detonating these. His arrows were aimed to pierce through Izo’s liver, lungs and heart—one target for each arrow. It was an easy enough shot to make even at these angles, with his talent for Marksmanship. Lucien’s accuracy was impeccable, though it was not impossible that, due to the darkness of Izo’s technique, his aim would be slightly off, but they would still likely cause major puncture wounds, and it was unlikely all four of them were off target.

The real question, in addition to defending against Lucien’s attacks, might have been how or what Lucien had done. Why had Izo’s attack simply passed through Lucien like he wasn’t even there? How did that make any sense? Well. As Izo had set up his own trap for Lucien, Lucien had arranged his own. Having already realized Izo was going to try to attack him from stealth, Lucien knew he had to draw Izo into a vulnerable position. And so he had, combining two skills unique to the Human World, but ones that Izo might not have had a chance to encounter.

As Izo threw his sword into the wall and his boot at the door, Lucien used the Quincy step technique Hirenkyaku to dart across the street at ten times his normal speed. But that wasn’t all. As Lucien engaged into his Step Technique, he also left behind a doppleganger of himself using the Energy Generate technique “Decoy”, which would leave a near indistinguishable copy of Lucien in place. The copy could even move, and appear to fight, although it was entirely illusory. If Izo’s speed had been a bit more comparable to Lucien’s, he might have noticed a momentary flicker of movement if he was carefully watching, but with Hirenkyaku raising Lucien’s speed to such an extent (a grand total of 4000—over fifty times faster than Izo), combined with the darkness of Izo’s own night sky, it would simply look like Lucien hadn’t moved at all, the Decoy taking his place almost as quickly as Lucien had left it.

Lucien’s Hirenkyaku took him to the other side of the street and down to the ground level, where Lucien ducked into an alleyway behind the building and watched from his cover. With his own black armor in the night, it would be almost as hard for Izo to spot Lucien as it would have been for Lucien to spot Izo.

Lucien had chosen the alleyway as it would provide a clean line of sight to his doppleganger, and upon firing his arrows, he slipped back behind the building entirely and out of sight, leaving it up to Izo to try and locate him for the moment. The advantage of Echo, was that Lucien could effectively fire his attacks remotely, without having to reveal himself from concealment. It wasn’t, perhaps, the most noble way of fighting. But Lucien didn’t care about nobility. He cared about results. Fighting was brutal and dirty. There was no such thing as a clean, proper fight in Lucien’s mind. Battle was bloody and filled with bloodshed. It was best to just fight as pragmatically as possible and end the fight quickly.

But as Lucien slipped behind the building, he gave Izo one more present. Four more arrows flashed up at him (or at least the position Lucien had last seen him before ducking behind the alleyways) from below, expending three of Lucien’s firing lanes, as all three came from the lanes Lucien had previously shot from. Two flying up at Izo’s back, and one, flying up towards his torso. These were mostly distractions, being only Class 5 arrows, but if Izo did not block or flex against them, they would still cause him serious injury. Notably, however, due to Lucien firing them based on memory, rather than sight, only one arrow—the one flying at his front, was actually on-target with Izo’s torso. The other two would narrowly miss, perhaps intended to be used to herd Izo, so that if he tried to dodge the most obvious arrow, he’d dodge into the other two.

Regardless, for a moment, Lucien took shelter behind the building, using his black armor to help him blend into the shadows and tried to take a moment to catch him breath. He’d already had his coughing fit, so this was probably the ideal time to try to take a breather and get his health back in order. I just need a moment or two…. He thought. Then…. I’m sorry my Shinigami friend, but if you still yet stand, I must put you down.

Lucien wasn’t sure if Izo could track him here, but just to be safe, the Vandenreich deactivated Gate for a moment. With Izo’s energy sensory of 0 even Lucien’s immense spiritual pressure would be nearly impossible to sense while Lucien aimed at suppressing it. It might be a challenge for Izo to locate his adversary for a moment or two, buying Lucien the brief time he needed to galvanize himself for the next round.

Reiatsu Remaining: 6980/8000
-480 for Four Class 2 arrows with Gate active
-240 for Four Class 5 arrows with Gate active
-100 upkeep cost for Gate
-300 reiatsu for Energy Generate: Decoy with Gate active
-100 for basic Hirenkyaku with Gate active
+400 reiatsu for Cross and Fragment with two properties active

Stamina Post: 3

[Izo Genzoku]

Air. The cool sensation of air. That’s all that could be felt by Izo in that moment. Again, his plan had failed. As Izo’s arms came together, he looked to see the silhouette of Lucien fade into nothingness. In the next instant, in the corner of his eye were the same white arrows that he grew to love so much. Izo flexed his entire body to mitigate the blasts, but they never came. The arrows from each direction pierced his body in droves.



No...this isn’t right. He was right there. Illusions, huh? What a fucking joke. How’d i not expect something like...then where IS he? He couldn’t hav- A memory flashed in Izo’s mind; it was the coughing. Izo endured the hellish white barrage as he continued to think. He couldn't have gone far; the man is sick. He wouldn’t have run, he’s slick, not a coward. He’d had enough. Though Lucien’s arrows were strong, Izo’s mind was unfazed. The pain was minimal at best, regardless of the damage that was actually done. This clear mind allowed Izo to do one thing; stop thinking.



It should’ve been obvious. You cannot out-think or outsmart a person like Lucien. He seemed like a prodigy, coming up with intelligent maneuvers with little effort. There was no use in trying to beat the man strategically, that would never happen. There was also no use in trying to find the Quincy. Only one fact was necessary in this situation; he couldn't have gone far. While Izo fell from the air, he turned in multiple directions, as if in search for Lucien in the darkness he created. While the arrows stayed stuck in his body, Izo smiled and began to chuckle a bit. He yelled out into the darkness, making sure Lucien could hear, “You’ve shown me your prowess, Quincy! Now lemme show you MINE!” As his body remained flexed and tense, instead of a typical landing, Izo slammed down as hard as he possibly could onto the street in one smooth motion.



The ensuing destruction was spectacular, and saddening in tandem. The entire neighborhood had been leveled, each building reduced to rubble. All of the street lights were either tilted or torn down, and Izo stood up calmly and looked around. He picked up his zanpakuto, ripping the arrows out of his body as he walked. Izo knew this was the right course of action. Realistically, Lucien had been hit or affected by the shockwave. At the very least, his location had been revealed; there were no buildings to hide in any longer. When Izo got a glimpse of Lucien, he would swing his sword in that direction with as much strength as possible, blasting not only the Quincy, but everything near and around him. Izo had fallen into Lucien’s game. It was time to turn the tables.

Reiatsu Pool: 700/1200
-50 from Worlds Intertwined: Black Eclipse

[Lucien Dantes]

Lucien observed Izo attack his illusion and be struck by several arrows. I do not care for this method, but there is no other. He is just durable enough that I do not believe I could kill him outright without piercing his eyes. A difficult shot without knowing his movements. Lucien considered, watching Izo's movements as he was wounded by Lucien's arrows from behind. Izo didn't seem especially perturbed though as he began to descend towards the ground. Something was up with his movements. Something strange. Along with that boast. Lucien pondered for only a moment before his eyes widened. No... He wouldn't! Lucien thought with a sudden horror. Had he misjudged Izo that badly!? Lucien's black armor disappeared. He wouldn't need it, and he would need the reiatsu for something else instead. Three more, Class 4 arrows shot out of the air, from previous points, and came down at Izo from above, to try and pierce the main through his upper back, shoulders and one arrow aimed at his neck, flying much faster than Izo was falling. All of them were not intended to explode on impact, but if Izo flexed such that they could not pierce him, then they would for any additional damage Lucien could achieve. An explosion that close to Izo's face could also potentially blind him. As Izo smashed down, Lucien was forced to use Hirenkyaku again, launching himself into the sky, well above Izo and beyond the range of the shockwave. The street was annihilated in the wake of Izo's attack. The road was shattered, buildings were smashed. It looked like a bomb had gone off, or a tornado had ripped through the town, leaving no structure standing.

Lucien began to slowly descend from above, but Izo would immediately identify Lucien's form in the air. Now that he had shed his black armor, the gleaming white of Lucien's Vandenreich uniform would stand out in the darkness. There was a thoroughly saddened and disappointed look in Lucien's golden eyes as he beheld Izo. He drew in reiatsu as he prepared his next move, but spoke to the Shinigami Captain now. Or tried to. As Lucien opened his mouth, he saw Izo unleash another shockwave at him. Lucien evaded at a diagonal angle, dropping down into the rubble. The shockwave blasted through the space he had occupied with enough force that Lucien would have undoubtedly been killed if he was still standing there, now without his armor. Lucien was still visible, of course, due to how little of the structures remained. There was little cover to be had, unless Lucien tried to dodge into a different section of town. An option, to be sure, but not one he intended to use just yet. Though Lucien could feel his illness acting up, he could keep it in check a little longer. And he wanted an answer from Izo now.

"Did I misjudge you, Izo Genzoku, Captain of the Gotei 13?" Lucien inquired. The sad, disappointment in his eyes was reflected in his tone. "I took you for a man who understood the failings of your Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and rejected those failings. One who sought to do better than your peers. Someone who would put the people before your petty conflicts." Lucien stated. "Look around you." He stated as he walked through the rubble, and kicked over some pieces of masonry, which flew several meters-- indicating that although Lucien's physical might paled in comparison to Izo, he was not so weak himself. "How many lives have you shattered today as thoroughly as you have these buildings? Did you consider that there might have yet been people in them? People whose lives you have just snuffed out? Is it not Soul Society's duty to protect the people of this world?" Lucien chastised. He didn't sound angry. Just... tired. Saddened and tired. Lucien walked into what he believed may have been a kitchen at one point, before Izo's attack. "I'm going to ask you a simple question, Captain." Lucien asked. "Why are you fighting me? I did not throw the first blow. I killed Hollows, I confess that. Did you attack me out of some sense that those Hollows needed to be avenged? Are you attacking me because I am Vandenreich, and therefore an enemy of the Gotei 13? Or is it because of some other reason. I ask you this, because I took you for a man that would not ruin the lives of people who had nothing to do with this struggle, for so petty a reason. I ask you this, because I would hope that the people who live here, who will return home today to find themselves without a home or those who may have still been inside these buildings and have lost their lives, have lost these things for a good reason." Lucien chastised.

Lucien reached down and procured what looked like a set of kitchen knives. The kind used in foot preparation. Damaged now, but still usable. There were three knives. Single edged, straight, stainless steel. Each approximately six to seven inches in length. Fairly standard looking, ordinary knives. Lucien slipped one of these knives into his belt, and flipped the other two in his hands. "Do you still intend to fight me Izo Genzoku? Do you intend to cause even more pain and suffering?" Lucien asked as he began to walk through the rubble, eyes on Izo. A series of hacking coughs followed this speech, as Lucien briefly staggered, but held his position, and did not take his eyes off of the Shinigami for an instant. Lucien didn't seem to have that black bow from before present. He knew he wouldn't need it for what he had planned next if the battle continued. But Lucien wanted to give Izo one last chance to end this without further loss of life.

Lucien would give Izo one chance to answer this, and put an end to their duel. If he didn't.... Lucien was well prepared to end this and already knew how he planned to do it. He had a fairly good account of Izo's abilities now. He was strong, determined and durable. He could fight through simple pain. But he was much, much slower than Lucien. Ordinarily, Lucien would use his Heart Property to battle Izo, but in this battle he didn't believe he'd need it. His speed would be more than enough to compensate for his lack of dueling skill. A combination of his Soul and Firing properties were all he'd need to finish this, based on his assessment of Izo's fighting technique. In either case, Lucien needed to end the battle quickly if Izo chose to continue it. Partially due to his own illness which was threatening to overtake him-- Lucien could feel his lungs burning, even after that coughing fit, and his throat was raw. He'd deal with it though. He always did and always had.

Reiatsu Remaining: 7020/8000
-360 reiatsu for four Class 4 arrows with Gate active
-100 for basic Hirenkyaku with Gate active
-100 for Gate upkeep
+600 reiatsu for Cross and Fragment with one property active