Reaching the Mountaintop! (Training)

[Kuro Adachihara]

TRAINING PARTNER WANTED. MEET AT NORTH RUKONGAI MOUNTAINS!

Kuro Adachihara smiled as he hung up the last flyer he had made. It was a rare thing for him to smile, but he knew noone would be watching as he did. He stood in front of his last stop before the mountain, hanging a flyer up against the wall to one of the numerous North Rukongai villages. He was six feet tall, towering over most of the villages that walked by. He didn't feel bad about this, mostly because he was wearing his white top and dark blue hakama pants to show that he was a student of the academy. He wanted to look official when inviting someone to a training sessions, however he knew this also marked him with a sign of respect. There was also the fact that his height was nothing to feel guilty about, but it wouldn't be the first time his height got him in trouble. His smile returned to it's natural frown as he thought about this.

Upon Kuro's back was a basket made with reeds with arm loops for him to carry it with. This basket also had a reed lid on top to conceal the contents within. What was inside, to Kuro's knowledge, were the standard provisions one would want if they were going on a large training trip. He had packed three loaves of bread, twenty potatoes, ten carrots, two pounds of packaged meat, and finally the secret ingredient to any good recipe. Cabbage. Ten heads of cabbage took up most of the space of the basket. The basket went slightly over the top of Kuro's head and came down to just below his buttocks meaning it was nearly four feet tall if it were placed on the ground.

Another hour went by as Kuro took his time, simply taking a leisurely walk to the opening of the mountain pass. He wanted to save up his strength but there was another reason why he took his time. He had placed many of the flyers earlier in the week but he wanted to give anyone who saw it a fair chance to join. It wouldn't be right for him to just start without someone if they were on their way. Kuro closed his cold, dull blue eyes while reaching up and touching his chin with his thumb and the crook of his forefinger as he stood, waiting. His hair slightly moved with the gentle wind, displaying more closely that his hair, although messy looking at the top, came down to groomed tips all around his head, the very end of the tips becoming stark white.

The mountain pass entrance was very large, standing as if a great wooden doorway. The top of the entrance's gate was a warning placed overtop. 'Warning: steep and narrow paths' Kuro looked at this and chuckled to himself instead of giving it much thought. He was one of the fastest students at the academy. Meaning, as long as he didn't accidentally invite a full fledged Shinigami to this training, he would remain in front easily. But he internally gave himself a smack in the back of the head, frowning a little deeper. He thought to himself, "it's not a competition... this is to grow fool." Kuro sighed, taking off his back pack and placing it on the ground and sitting, the noon day sun hanging overtop of the sky as he waited for someone to arrive. If they did not by the end of the sun's time in the sky, he would depart by himself.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Thanks to the fact he is a relatively new unseated officer to squad 11 Shawn tends to find a decent amount of down time that he can put towards training and searching for his siblings. Heading towards his normal spot in the west Rukon district he notices a flyer as he's passing through a village, TRAINING PARTNER WANTED. MEET AT NORTH RUKONGAI MOUNTAINS! Hmmmm, training with somebody else sounds good, maybe I'll learn something new if I join them. Mulling it over for a few minutes he changes his course and begins heading towards the north Rukon district mountains, coming to this decision for two different reasons, for a partner he might learn some new things from and an opportunity to look for his siblings as he passes through some villages while he is heading to the mountains.

Finally, the mountain pass is beginning to come in view and Shawn is dressed for the occasion in a nice bright green shirt and lighter brown cargo shorts. The bright green contrasts his pale skin which brings out his blue eye's and bright blonde hair with white streaks in it. The scar traveling a short distance from the right side of his lip towards his right ear is clearly visible and actually makes him look even paler (if that is even possible). The silver necklace with a silver cross on it is hanging around his neck and is over the shirt, the strangest thing however is that he is still wearing his Waraji. Arriving close enough would show that Kuro is only slightly taller then Shawn but is clearly better built for speed. 

"He-Hello, are you the person who put up those flyers?" the question came out quietly but loud enough for Kuro to hear, "M-My name is Shawn and I wanted to join, I've never been up in the mountains yet so this will be good experience." Waiting for confirmation that this was indeed the person who put up the flyers he will then reach out for a handshake. "D-Do you come up here often?" Leaning more towards being spiritually strong Shawn is not physically inclined and although he wants to build up his physical stamina and abilities he also wants to make sure if he has to be prepared for unfamiliar terrain for both him and his partner at the moment.

Looking over his new companion he notices that he is definitely prepared for a long trip, Food? I thought those with high enough spiritual pressure don't require food for survival? He could just have it for personal enjoyment, in the end it isn't something I really don't need to ask about. Mulling over those thoughts Shawn waits for Kuro to respond to his questions and while doing so he begins to scan the vicinity. The scan showed him one major thing, this path they were about to take was certainly not for somebody who didn't have their heart in training, luckily at this moment that's all that filled his mind and he was certainly ready for a challenge that could further his progress to become stronger in general.

[Kuro Adachihara]

Kuro sat by the entrance to the mountain pass until he saw someone beginning to approach from the road to the south west. He stood up, brushing himself off calmly, adjusting the loaner sword that had been uncomfortably pressed against his back while the basket had been held by him. From what Kuro could see, the young man approaching might have been the literal embodiment of a ghost. This made Kuro's eyes grow a bit wider as he watched his new companion arrive. As he got even closer, Kuro realized that the young man had on shoes that were very outdates, but Kuro didn't mind as he had on the same kind. They were built for durability, and Kuro liked that about them.


When the first question came, Kuro would nod silently. He was a bit embarrassed about his voice, seeing as it was very hard for most to hear him speak. He didn't want to put off this guy, at least not just yet. Kuro took the handshake as warmly as he was able, making sure it was firm but not a crushing grasp. When he released the hand and heard the second question, he knew he had to speak. "Yes. I grew up in a village nearby and ran these trails for training." Kuro knew that his voice was very soft, but hoped that this stranger would pick up on what he had said. "My name is Kuro Adachihara. Let's get trekking. By the way, I brought food incase anyone was low in spiritual presence... Do you need any?" 


As Kuro both spoke and began walking to the mountain pass entrance, he took much larger steps than necessary, stretching his legs with each step. As he took these steps, lowering himself slightly, he scooped the arm to the basket up. He then swung it around his body so that it would slam against his loaner zanpakutou and his back before catching the other arm of the basket. He then made sure it was secure and somewhat comfortable for him before continuing his long steps towards the gate of the mountain pass. "Don't forget to stretch. It's very important." Kuro was attempting to be friendly by saying this, but even so he could not attempt a smile. It was just beyond him to be that friendly in the beginning.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Shawn was able to hear Kuro speak if not with a little effort but he could clearly hear him, Good, he is familiar with the terrain, that's reassuring. Continuing to speak Kuro answered the question that popped into Shawn's mind as if he physically voiced it out loud, carrying food in case someone with low spiritual power joined makes sense. Huh, he thinks ahead pretty nicely, this time it wasn't as needed but nice nonetheless, Answering his question "I don't need any but thanks for the offer."

Seeing Kuro begin to walk Shawn slinked in behind him and tried to keep up to his pace, watching him toss the basket on his back he continue to follow him through the pass. Walking caused the hidden Zanpakuto strapped to Shawn's back to move slightly but only enough for himself to notice it's existence, passing through the entrance Shawn pauses momentarily as he is about to follow Kuro's advice. Stretching is a common thing for him to do as he constantly trains, stretching from his arms to his legs before he feels comfortable enough to continue.

Nothing to out of the ordinary as they begin up the mountain but Shawn has to as just to be sure "A-Any difficult spot I should prepare for as we're going up?" Other then Kuro, there has only been two others that Shawn has trained with and one of them was just a sparring match while the other was someone who was just teaching him. This caused him to be a little more nervous then usually as he wasn't used to training normally with someone who wasn't there just to teach him. "H-How long have you been in the Soul Society?"

[Kuro Adachihara]

Kuro continued trekking forward, the path beginning to ascend already. This path was used mostly to train endurance with it steep inclines and generally flat, short distances to the next incline until the top. It was perfect for Kuro to help increase his speed on flat terrains by getting more used to moving faster during an inclined path. He heard Shawn's blanket furl over his back while also paying attention to him talking. Kuro wasn't very used to someone asking so many questions in the Rukongai he grew up in, seeing as it was mostly the occasional "Get out of my way." But Kuro knew it was important to communicate with possible teammates. It was obvious this man was atleast somewhat Shinigami inclined having peaked back and seen the blade attached to Shawn's back.





"I can tell you that the sharp inclines make the whole trail very difficult to run. Which is what we're going to do." Kuro was thankful Shawn was able to hear him, despite his quiet voice. But he also knew it was only going to get more difficult with increasing their pace. "I've been in the Northern Rukongai for a long time, but I joined the academy only a short while ago. I'm graduating soon, but I need to get stronger if I'm going to take on hollows. And even worse, the Quincy..." Kuro had decided to open up a bit and express his distaste for the Vandenreich. He had seen some as a spirit, hunting hollows. They enjoyed the hunt, not the idea of helping others. That made it more important to him to help spirits and hollows become cleansed before the Vandenreich could hurt them.





As Kuro finished answering the questions he gave a small turn back to Shawn, giving a flat face, his version of a smile in most circumstances, and spoke a little louder than usual. "We're gonna start running now. It's gonna take a bit to get to the top but there's a clearing there. We'll take a break then." Kuro returned to his usual frown while turning back to the path and took off, half jogging and half sprinting, keeping his speed to a general seventy-five percent. He didn't wanna cause himself or Shawn an early burn out and in-between steps he would turn back and keep an eye on him. As Kuro ran, he felt his pack bounce off his back and the weight pull down on his shoulders. The wicker basket made a straining sound against him, but held firm. It was not going to break easily.



Kuro felt his clothes brushing against him, but thanks to the looseness of his robes, it kept from rubbing too roughly against his body. And his shoes, although lightweight and thin, were durable enough to keep him from feeling the rocks on the path as he ran over them. The trees and tall grass along the path were getting thicker and closer together as they ascended, making the sunlight grow dimmer around them. It was a comfort zone for Kuro because although his vision might be cut off, it also meant that any possible predators were also kept at bay. There was also the additional assistance of having his blade with him at all times. This only added to Kuro's comfort as he controlled his breathing, taking two sharp breaths in through his nose while giving a long exhale through his mouth. The rhythm assisted him in keeping both his pace and oxygen in check so as to not burnout or over exert.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Difficult is good, after all Shawn isn't to worried about stamina and losing his footing but more focused on trying to actually increase his speed which he knows is an area he is sorely lacking. Thus the point of him consistently training and one of the main reasons he jumped at the chance to train with someone else in order to possibly find a way to increase his actual speed. Currently he is able to keep up with Kuro but after sparing with Yuna he know fully understand some people will just be far superior to him in that aspect and unless they show it off it isn't something that is easily noticed at his current stage. Moving forward shows that the land is pretty flat and rocky with a decent incline that would have been difficult to traverse while he was alive.

Been in the Northern Rukongai for a long time eh? That explains his not hostile but not necessarily friendly demeanor, especially the farther out he lived. Running up the incline Shawn watches the surroundings move by as they keep their pace, the woods and rocky area makes him think of the place where his master lived and taught him how to become stronger knowing Shawn has set his goal on become a Shinigami. While lost in memories he losses his footing and begins to trip and fall forward, luckily his memories of his master also come with some experience allowing him to smoothly move his left shoulder forward while tucking his upper body down, bending his knees enough to effortlessly roll forward back onto his feet while still managing the pace they have been traveling at.

Listening to Kuro taught Shawn a good amount about him like how he hopes to help the souls that have not passed yet or helping the Hollows be cleansed from their curse. These things he has in common, then he heard the word "Quincy", this caused his fists to clench and a small sneer to appear on his face briefly before tightening his lips instead. Kuro seems to have as much disdain for the Vandenriech as he himself with similar reasons if not with some differences. Having no major beef with the Quincy themselves all of his anger and dislike falls towards the Vandenriech, assuming that it was the same for Kuro. "One day I will bring down their false god and show them that all of their faith in him was for nothing, that will be my accomplishment if I only manage one dent in this world." These words flowed out with his fury, calming down after this as the mood shifted towards a better position, taking a deep breath he kept his eyes forward for awhile to ensure he remained calm. 

Kuro at this point decided it was the proper time to increase their speed, thankfully it remained in his own realm of possibility and managed to keep up with him without an issue. The Zanpakuto at this point was trying to bounce around a little too much causing Shawn to have to secure it regardless of Kuro possible lingering eyes. Dropping his pace slightly in order to manage his ability to secure it he picked it back up once it was safely tightened to his back and not bouncing around anymore.

The area began to change as more and more trees began to surround them to the point where the sunlight began to fade and barely pierce the canopy. This reminded him of his own little training place that he goes to when he doesn't want to be disturbed by other people. Feeling both safe from intruders but also feeling a slight hint of danger as it also makes avoiding any possible beings that may lie in wait for travelers much more difficult, regardless of that slight possibility Shawn pushed on and followed Kuro further up the mountain top.

[Kuro Adachihara]

Kuro kept his pace for the most part up the trail they were traveling. The only time he took a pause was when Shawn took a tumble from a misstep, causing Kuro to turn halfway back, mid stride. However, when he saw that Shawn managed to regroup and continue moving forward, Kuro simply nodded and kept moving up the path. The dirt beneath his feet remained intact with each step he took. This was due to the frequent travel that had been forger on this trail, keeping it flattened hard to the ground. Kuro began to feel his sweat grow on his forehead, making him almost give a full smile as he felt the exertion on his body giving him a runner's high.

During the travel along the path, Shawn mentioned a very peculiar goal. Kuro didn't know much about the Quincy yet. He had only experienced them hunting and destroying souls as a ghost himself, leaving a scar of fear that turned more towards hatred of the race as a whole. "They have a God?", Kuro thought to himself. Kuro didn't really want to ask Shawn and reveal a lack of knowledge on his end, instead giving a quick huff. This was more to keep his pace and breathing in check as he kept moving, not really paying much more mind to the comment about the Quincy.

As Kuro and Shawn reached the summit at an hour in, Kuro's pace not changing much until this point, he finally slowed down, putting his arm up instinctively to block his eyes from the upcoming experience. The clearing at the top was a sudden experience, the trees having remained thick and numerous until the bare dirt expanse came into view. Kuro slowly came to a stop, working through the whole motion as he reached the center of the thirty foot diameter circle of land. The sun was brightly shining down through the massive whole in the forest at the mountain top, causing it to be a very brightly charged experience entering the area as well, possibly causing a similar reaction to Shawn as it did for Kuro.

"I really do love that feeling," Kuro said as he lowered his arm, coming to a complete stop and huffing a bit as he regained control over his breathing and stood still. He put his hands on his hips as he took in a deep breath through his nose, smelling the pine tree needle smell and that of the dirt on the ground. The enchanting aroma of the forest filled his sense of smell as he took in the view around him. He then placed that pack he had on the ground and turned to face Shawn. "I noticed you're a soul reaper too... Let's have a spar to work on more than just our running stamina, shall we?" Kuro's face remained it's usual frown as he stared at Shawn, awaiting a response, keeping his hands on his hips in a non-threatening manner.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Sweat was beading up on Shawn's forehead long before they finally happen upon the opening that Kuro was talking about earlier, beautiful sunny sky beaming down and warming up the flesh hidden by the shadows of the trees for a time. Slowing down after entering the clearing Shawn took a moment the wipe the sweat from his face and sit down momentarily to enjoy the scenery. The scent of flora wafted towards Shawn in the wind making this spot even more enjoyable, after a few minutes he stood back up ready to do whatever Kuro had planned for the day.

Getting up Kuro asked if he would be up to a spar as part of the training session, Well, I don't have much experience, so a spar would actually be beneficial to both of us. Taking a moment to think about the request he finally responds "Sure, it would be good experience to spar, we just have to set up rules and win conditions, any preferred rules you have?" Waiting for a response Shawn will begin stretching to prepare for the more strenuous activity they are about to begin, after stretching he breathes in deeply seeing what scents he might be able to pick up other then that of the flowers around them, other then the dirt they are standing on there doesn't seem to be anything else noticeable around.

[Kuro Adachihara]

Kuro took a moment to think on rules for the spar. He took a bit of time while stretching to decide on it before speaking. "I think we should keep our blades sheathed to avoid cutting each other. And points that are based on practical sword training." Kuro bent his right leg while fully extending his left, leaning to the right and placing both hands on his right knee. He then pushed down with his hips to stretch his left leg. "Extremities like legs and arms are one point, chest is two, and head is three. Ten points to win. After scoring two or more points we reset because it's an obvious end to a fight seeing as fighting with only two limbs or missing your torso or head is a bit impossible, at least for us." Kuro gave a slight smirk, finishing his first stretch and then mirroring it with his left leg bent and his right extended.

"Sound fair to you?" After finishing his thoughts, Kuro would stand erect and stretch first his right arm directly horizontal over his chest so his right hand would point to his left, using his left forearm to pin his right arm to his chest. This was to pull it in tight and stretch the biceps of his right arm. After a thirty count in his head, he once again mirrored his stretch so his left arm was horizontal across his chest and his right arm pinned his left arm to his chest. His final stretch was to arch his back while pulling his right arm up and behind his head, letting his right hand dangle behind his head. He then pulled on the elbow with his left hand, stretching the triceps thoroughly. His also mirrored this stretch after a twenty count in his head. Dangling his left hand behind his head this time and holding the left elbow with his right hand to once again stretch his triceps.

After doing his stretching to warm up his body, Kuro pulled his zanpakutou loose from over his right arm and then, holding the length of the scabbard in his left hand, used the tie around it to wrap around the handle under the guard of his sword. This was to ensure that his scabbard did not come loose during the battle, sealing it shut and thus ensuring that serious injury would not occur during the fight. It was only the most sensical thing to do against an ally whom he was training with. He then took up a stance, holding his sword down to the left of his body as right foot came forward. He bent both of his knees slightly, his right more than the left and bent his body forward at the hips and up to get a good balance. He was posed as if ready to take off in a sprint.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Listening to Kuro as he through out an idea for the rules of the spar Shawn would nod his head in agreement after Kuro would finish a sentence about the rules. "That sounds fair to me, I can't think of anything to add other than keeping it purely about swordplay and excluding the use of any Kido including possibly Step Techniques, is that fine with you?" While he was proposing that addition Shawn would begin pulling his sword off his back and like Kuro would tie the holding strap around the hilt and sheath to prevent the blade from possible coming out.

During this time the breeze would faintly blow what little heat Shawn might feel from warming him to much, hoping it would continue to do so as they spared. Lucky for them the sky was beautiful over head and the sun didn't shine down on them to hard, allowing for them to train without worry of being blinded momentarily. The birds began to sing as he was finishing up the knot, almost as if they were encouraging the two souls to become stronger and better capable of dealing with issues as they arise. 

Listening to whatever Kuro's response may have been Shawn would then begin to move to be 15 Feet away from Kuro, both facing each other preparing a stance to begin the spar. Shawn would swing his sheathed sword once to understand the difference of weight and would then would raise the sword in his right hand to be both pointing at Kuro and be at eye level close to his face. Bending both knees at this time slightly while having his feet be spaced enough for his right foot to be a little behind his right shoulder and his left be a little in front, facing his shoulders to have his left side pointing at Kuro. "Ready when you are."

[Kuro Adachihara]

With everything in place, Kuro stood still, letting his eyes slightly close as he took a deep breath in through his nose. He smelled the air, the pine trees around them giving off a comforting fragrance. It was something that allowed Kuro to focus for a moment on how his opponent stood. While Kuro had taken a stance to suggest he would take off forward, his opponent, Shawn, had taken an approach like that of a spearman facing off against a horse to Kuro's eyes. 'The unstoppable force against the immovable object... A good strategy to take against someone who showcased their speed...' Kuro thought to himself.

With the rules clearly explained, it looked as though Kuro might have the disadvantage with these strategies in place. But he knew if he get his strike in first against a major extremity, he could have the win. Shawn clearly favored his right arm, putting it out in front of him with a bold attitude. Almost like putting a glowing neon sign on it saying to come and take it from me. Kuro would most definitely oblige. And with that, he ran forward, meaning to take the no man's land between them and push the offensive.

As he came within five feet of Shawn, Kuro swung upwards and diagonally, aiming to make contact with Shawn's wrist with his sword's scabbard before turning the momentum of his arms around to slash back downwards in quick succession to try and hit Shawn's chest. If both succeeded, the first match would already go to him, but even Kuro knew such luck was beyond him. He wasn't the fastest, yet, but his speed would certainly assist him in this quick double attack.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Making the first move Kuro begins surging forward, using his speed to quickly close the gap between him and Shawn while holding his sword low to his left side. He certainly is fast meaning he is probably more physically capable, luckily sword play isn't all about strength and speed, holding the stance he started in the beginning Shawn prepared to counter Kuro's next move. Thankfully for Shawn the last spar he had was against someone even faster then Kuro is and preferred to stay far lower to the ground. The way Kuro held his weapon told Shawn everything he needed to know, the attack was going to be an upward slash or a straight slash from the side, not knowing the target of the slash won't matter in the slightest as the moment to counter showed itself. 

Reaching about 6 feet from Shawn he began to make his move knowing the optimal distance for Kuro to attack Shawn was anywhere within 5 feet of him given the difference in speed. Immediately dropping the sword point downward in the direction of the attack he puts the scabbard point into the ground as Kuro scabbard was heading in for it's blow. Doing this would allow Shawn to block the incoming strike while fluidly flipping his hands position to be holding his weapon in reverse, thus keeping pressure downward into the ground while moving the scabbard forward and downward. While moving the scabbard forward Shawn would also begin to move forward, keeping low to the ground he would quickly reach forward with his left hand to go between Kuro's legs and hook the area behind the right knee with his pointer and middle fingers pulling back towards him and upward to cause the knee to buckle. 


With the pressure point strike completed and the right knee giving out Shawn would then lift his weapon from its position following Kuro's "blade" upward before hopefully landing a light strike to the side of his head. If this succeeded Shawn would get up and hold out his hand for Kuro to grab before helping him to his feet. During the process of helping him up Shawn would say "I had a harsh teacher who beat the lesson into me that sometimes I will be fighting an opponent more physically capable then myself and that I must learn how to predict their attacks, that and it helps that I previously had a spar against someone who was actually faster then you and I only won thanks to my Kido." 

[Kuro Adachihara]

As Kuro came closer, he noticed that Shawn was not returning the forward movement, simply standing and waiting for the incoming attack. And So Kuro had a thought. If he remained there, Kuro would aim to run forward and attempt to slash as if he were going to cut through Shawn's body. The forward momentum would certainly leave Shawn in a daze if he caught the brunt of it. But neither did Kuro slow down, nor did Shawn take a slash of any kind. This was due to poor imagination on Kuro's part for sure. 

As Kuro moved within six feet of Shawn's body, he saw Shawn literally plant the end of his scabbard into the ground, on Kuro's left side. This, Kuro deduced, was most likely to trap his blade as he ran into the zone of close combat, making it more difficult for Kuro to even swing his blade. As he got closer, Kuro decided not to slow down in the slightest, and instead plow through his opponent. This further solidified as Shawn took another movement, leaning in and attempting to trap Kuro's right knee with Shawn's left hand. Kuro gave a sort of snort as he rushed into the trap, allowing his blade arm to go limp so as to not actually clash against Shawn's scabbard with Kuro's.

Next, Kuro lifted his right knee as Shawn's arms went to go around his leg, attempting to strike Shawn in the jaw with Kuro's knee. Although Kuro knew martial arts, he felt it to be very underhanded to go from using swordplay into what looked to be a maneuver meant to simply toss your opponent about. Nowhere in the rules had there been a mention of using martial arts to gain points, so it seemed fruitless to use this as a winning factor. Still, it was definitely ingenuitive, and Kuro had to give that to Shawn. He wondered how Shawn was expecting to get a point from that though, seeing as one had to strike a head or limb, not simply trap it.

If Kuro had been successful in catching Shawn in the jaw with his knee, he would most likely still be ensnared by Shawn's hold, causing them both to go tumbling over Shawn's back and the direction that Kuro had been running. This would be still advantageous for Kuro, at least in Kuro's opinion, as he still had his blade and had not let it become trapped against Shawn's. Instead, it had most likely clanged against it for a moment before being pulled behind Kuro as he continued forward.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Planting his scabbard into the dirt Shawn readied himself for the plan he was about to put into action, that is until he noticed Kuro never slow down. I'll admit I never thought he would just charge straight through, nevertheless I should be able to pull my plan of for the most part. The moment Kuro came close enough for him to begin his strike against the pressure point behind Kuro's right knee with his left hand Shawn immediately used that forward momentum he created to begin rolling to the right.

Regardless of how soon Shawn began his roll Kuro's right knee would still succeed to nick Shawn's chin as he went forward, this however helped Shawn. Thanks to Kuro's right knee making some contact with his face Shawn pulled his left arm quickly back to strike that pressure point as well he could, in the meantime the contact from the knee would allow Shawn some spinning momentum and he would use that to reduce as much of the impact as possible while rolling away. While rolling away he would try to keep as much pressure going into that point until he rolled out of reach, even though this does not give Shawn as much control over this battle as he could have it at least hopefully succeeded at causing Kuro's right knee to buckle leading to him tripping and tumbling forward to the ground.

If this succeeded or not Shawn would hold his chin and give a little grin while saying "Not bad, didn't see that coming, I never figured you would just keep charging forward." If his attempt at tripping Kuro worked then Shawn would immediately begin running forward before he could get to his feet and attempt to slash diagonally downward to the left at Kuro's body if he is facing downward or his leg if he is facing upward. Jumping back out of reach following that attack attempt Shawn would then get into a lower position keeping his scabbard 2 inches from his face and pointed at Kuro.

[Kuro Adachihara]

Kuro grunted as he ran Shawn through, his blade passing by Shawn's planted one. As he nicked Shawn's cheek with his knee, his face went to a worried expression, tensing for a moment before feeling a hand press into the back of his right knee and causing it to buckle under the pressure. With that, Kuro fell forward, pulling his arms into his body and tumbling forward, rolling three times before resting with his back to the ground and slightly confused while a little dizzy. Had Shawn been planning to take such an attack at face value and aimed instead to put him on the ground? The thought held his mind for a moment as he tried to reassess the situation.

Before he could however, he heard Shawn comment on how he hadn't seen Kuro possibly rushing through despite the look of the situation. He then felt Shawn's scabbard across Kuro's right leg, causing Kuro to sit up immediately and stare dumbfounded at where he had just been tapped. Had Shawn not suffered even a little confusion or worry in the moment? He was definitely a tough nut in Kuro's mind. "Well I guess that's a neat trick.... I didn't expect you to take an attack like that so easily and just keep going. Nor the pressing into my leg... How'd you do that anyway?" Kuro stood up, slowly, attempting to put weight on his right leg and finding that it did sting a bit, but it wouldn't keep him from fighting at that moment.

He then waited to both hear an answer from Shawn while brandishing his blade, waiting to see if Shawn would rush in on him during his moment of weakness like before. The round was still going, and he needed to keep his head in the game if he expected to fight off Shawn. This opponent was definitely the sneaky type, and while getting ready a thought occurred to Kuro. "Hey. Are we counting strikes other than swords to the body as points? I wouldn't think so, but if we were we'd both be resetting about now."