Wannabe Vanden meets Wannabe Shini

[Ren Akasawa]

Name: [Wannabe Vanden meets Wannabe Shini]

Participants: [Ren Akasawa and Caballero]

Location: [Karakura streets]

Plotline: [On an ordinary day, two swordsmen enamored by organizations they may or may not actually understand meet by chance.]

A light warm rain fell onto Karakura, something too weak to be called a 'storm'. Puddles rippled in the gentle breeze. A pleasant day all around. With no concern for shelter, Akasawa sat in the middle of a street, perched atop the slowly dissolving form of a slain hollow. Rust red light spilling from the tears in his ragged Vandenreich garb as it swayed in the wind, the overcast street tinted in his colors by the glow refracted off small puddles. The weather hadn't stopped him from taking the time to bask in that victory, something his flood-addled mind wanted to linger on for as long as possible.

It was rare that the self-proclaimed wolkenritter had found his entertainment this early in a day, normally he'd have spent the greater part of the day wandering around in search of any signs of shinigami or hollow activity. Well to be honest he couldn't even find an opponent most days. It was hard to track worthwhile enemies without sensing their reiatsu, and he wasn't about to sense anything through the thin and sluggish clouds that followed him everywhere he went. That meant he needed to try other means of finding his next matchup... Oh right, that was why he'd been sitting here. A dying hollow had plenty of potential as bait.

Something felt off. The would-be knight shifted his sitting position to one side, then to another, before he gave in and stepped down onto the street and turned back to see there wasn't enough of the hollow left to support his weight. "Can't a knight keep their trophies?" He hadn't thought through how short-lived spirit bodies could be, kept forgetting he couldn't just stack defeated hollows in a towering pile until it was so tall he could climb up and out of the mortal realm and into Silbern to claim a seat in the Emperor's presence. The vandenreich exile sighed, four more minutes and then he'd be on to the next quest, as wandering knights were wont to do.

[Deleted]

Oh no. Oh, no, no, no, no. This could not be happening. Caballero had wandered too far, and now the price for their hubris was being paid in blood. The blood of their beloved "Shihakusho". Now, Karakura was not being hit by the harshest of storms. In fact, it was more of a mild rain with dark clouds ahead, with absolutely no need to find shelter and still have a pleasant stroll around the streets of the city. However, for Caballero, this was nothing if not the worst possible catastrophe. The little Hollow felt their "Shihakusho" getting heavier and heavier by the second. The garments were nothing more than a few rags they had decided looked like a proper Shinigami uniform, a uniform that would not take long to rot away if the rain kept hitting it. Thus, the tiny, friendly Hollow skittered across the streets in search for any place that might serve as a refuge, an enclosed space they would be able to wait in for a little while. Perhaps surprisingly, there just were not that many places around. At least, not ones that would not get the rags in a poorer state than they already were.

Thus, the strange Hollow kept running around in a mild panic, their oversized head-mask dripping wet after moving against the wind for a few street turns, until something else completely caught their attention. Well, to be more precise, it would have been better to say that their instincts caught a whiff of something their limited conscious mind could not. Drawn in by the scent of their dead kind, Caballero--who'd just realized were a little hungry--turned toward the source and, with a light jog, dashed toward the scene. Instinct and curiosity managed to overpower the urge to protect their Shinigami garments, if only for a little while.

When Caballero arrived at the scene of the crime, they saw the corpse of a fellow Hollow, but something was amiss. It was as if their body was slowly disintegrating, as if they were consigned into oblivion. Other Hollows may have felt a chill at the sight of one of their own being erased from the soul cycle altogether, with no chance of living again as a human, Plus, or Hollow. Caballero, however, didn't really understand any of that. Instead, the Hollow's tummy--if they even had that in the first place--growled a little bit, making them approach both the slain beast and the strange human next to it. Upon setting their big black eyes on said human, Caballero was snapped away from the instincts of a Hollow, and realized that they may be about to claim someone else's prey. That would not do for the chivalrous Hollow, so naturally, they had no better idea than to present themselves to the man standing there.

Caballero walked slowly toward the man, their incredibly positive aura helping to send the message that they were no threat. They were careful not to present themselves as a threat as they observed the Failure. The stranger in question was big, perhaps not as big as the usual Hollow, but certainly much taller than Caballero. He had skin as white as a Hollow mask, red eyes, and wore garbs that were just as ragged as their own. That last fact alone sparked a sense of kinship within the tiny creature. The other detail that captured the Hollow's curiosity was the flaming red mane of hair, if one could call it such, flowing on strange directions.

Once in front of them, Caballero waved their little arm as if to say hi, the short, tiny limb poking out of the rags enveloping the rest of its body. Then, they looked at the Hollow corpse and back at themselves a few times. Past interactions had taught them that gestures could have meaning if one made them clear enough. Hopefully the stranger would let them take a bite out of that Hollow before it disappeared for good... provided the Quincy wannabe would not want to slaughter them for being one of their sworn enemies in the first place. At the very least, there would not be a challenge for the time being, since Caballero wanted a bite first, but who was to say they wouldn't want to test them afterwards?

[Ren Akasawa]

The points of vibrant red light that passed for Ren's eyes turned to face the tiny Hollow. Gaze locked on the new arrival with a blaze of excitement at having reeled in a fresh hollow, though that blaze quickly guttered out into embers of mild disappointment once he realized that a catch this small was best thrown back. Not many people out there regaled their friends or internet strangers with the tale of how they defeated a lilliputian. That left him to stand there awkwardly as the creature waved at him, then tried to communicate something? It took a few repetitions before the would-be knight realized their intentions.

The exile shifted his posture slightly as a four-foot blade of pressure condensed in his hand, point resting against the ground as it formed. "Eat up while it lasts." The rising slash that followed twisted up into the air, painting a crescent of red light into the night air and sending the dissolving remains of his 'bait' skidding across the rain-slick street to land in front in the small silent hollow. At the height of the cut, his grip slackened and the blade diffused into its surroundings like air freed from a popped balloon. "I'm not interested in chopping down saplings." Several paces of distance kept between them, he stood and waited. Damp and torn coat swinging on the breeze.

Burning eyes watched carefully for the small hollow's reaction, judging if he could really let it scurry off once this was over. As he saw it, feeding one hollow to another wouldn't cause any harm. If he took the edge off of that thing's hunger it would take another day or so before it returned to hunting the living, wouldn't it? Besides that, he really didn't want to fight something short enough to feel like bullying a child. So unless the flesh of its kin would make this diminutive monster grow to proper height, he'd rather not take the first swing.

[Deleted]

Caballero continued to awkwardly wave at a man who by all intents and purposes seemed to be a dangerous member of a strange species. However, the tiny Hollow didn't know much better, and approached this with the innocent mind of a child. First things first, he was not a Hollow, so Caballero's survival instincts didn't immediately flare to life and put them on the defensive. Instead, they regarded the Failure with curiosity as they still attempted to capture his attention. The man in question had a perfectly fine meal wasting away behind them, and that would not do, would it? Fortunately, the Failure seemed to understand the creature's intentions, because he told Caballero to go ahead and eat while there was still something there, creating a blade that put Caballero on alert for a moment before he used it to cut off a chunk of beast for them to eat.

The tiny Hollow practically beamed as they looked up at the much taller man, jumped up a few times in excitement, and suddenly remembered that they needed to at least be courteous. They bowed their oversized head in deference to the tower of muscle in front of them for a second before the anticipation of an imminent meal made them turn to what was right in front of them. Caballero skittered toward the dissolving chunk of Hollow corpse and began to eat without a care in the world, blissfully unaware of the way the man was looking at them, analyzing them.

How the creature was able to eat without a mouth is still debated to this day. In a way, it was as if their black Reiatsu body tore chunks of the meal using a smaller variant of Tendón, dissolved the meat into reishi and absorbed said reishi into them, replenishing their strength and reserves. Caballero didn't eat too much nor too fast, considering their small size, so they had barely removed any flesh from the Hollow before the chunk of corpse ended up fading away into nothingness.

Regardless, Caballero's subdued hunger had been satisfied by the meal, and with that fully under control there was no risk for the little Hollow to lose control any time soon. They turned to the man again, no leftovers of blood or meat on either their body, mask or "Shihakusho"; something that would most likely confuse the Failure. Now satisfied, Caballero's curiosity immediately drew them to that man with burning eyes and hair. He was unlike anything the tiny Hollow had seen before, after all. They got closer until they reached a sort of safe distance, without invading Ren's personal space, and looked up at them for a few moments. Then, Caballero moved a bit to the right, studying the man with those big, black holes that appeared to be their eyes. Once they were done, doing that, the little creature's attention fell to the sword Ren had just created to cut off the Hollow.

The natural urge to try to touch it conflicted with the Hollow's survival instincts in a tug-of-war that didn't really get anywhere. The man looked strong, and Caballero was now interested in him. And once Caballero became interested in someone, it was easy to know what would happen next. The tiny Hollow kept their dagger-sized katana on their back before turning around, looking for something that may suit their needs. The mild stormy weather had torn off a small, dry twig that was the perfect length, so Caballero didn't hesitate in picking it up. Then, they quickly returned to where Ren was, standing in front of him for a moment. The Hollow would bow once again, point at the Failure with a stick, and swing it to the side, issuing their challenge to a friendly bout.

The fact that Caballero's main weapon was on their back, that they had picked a harmless stick and that their aura was so positive would hopefully be enough to clue Ren into the fact that they meant no harm. However, Caballero may end up learning that one simply could not go around trying to fight everyone they met that looked remotely strong. Whatever the lesson may be that day and whether the challenge would be accepted or not would, of course, be up to Ren.

[Ren Akasawa]

Still not hostile? The strange little hollow gave Ren an impression similar to an abandoned dog, one that knew how to behave but probably wouldn't last outside for that long. Well, the behavior did. As far as appearances went he saw the masked soul as something more like a chibified animal character, though he couldn't be fully sure of its proportions through those rags, nor could he wrap his head around how it had just eaten without revealing any kind of visible mouth. Best not to think too hard about things like that.

No knight, no matter how delusional, would ever misunderstand a gesture like that. He'd just been challenged to a duel. Respect welled up in Ren's chest, this was the kind of hollow that could strive for redemption- conversion. Assuming proper devotion they may even make it all the way to captain someday, so long as they could survive long enough to mature and follow the quincy path that led there. Well, that and assuming the wolkenritter didn't splatter his new opponent across this street in the next four minutes?

He stretched out his hand towards the Hollow, fingers slipping into place as he forged another rust-toned blade. Identical to the one he'd formed and dissolved a moment ago, the four foot bar of sharpened pressure already pointed towards his diminutive challenger's mask as it formed. "Ren Akawsawa. As a wolkenritter seeking his majesty the Emperor's favor, I accept your challenge." He swiped the makeshift sword of cutting force downwards, shifting his right foot forwards to enter the same posture he'd started from back when he'd cut a piece from the slain hollow not even a minute ago. Not a common opening stance, but the one he presumed was best for dueling someone only half his height.

Pressurized Gravitation was a simple technique, the pressure his reiatsu would normally exhert over a wide area reduced to a sharpened wedge. It was the only blade the self-titled knight had on hand, an unfortunate necessity that made up for his inability to forge a proper weapon. White it was arguably just as makeshift as the twig, there would be no blunting of his techniques from that. He couldn't hold back, wasn't nearly skilled enough to throw a cut without a dangerous amount of force. If Caballero was going to follow through on this, they'd have to risk a few cuts before the night was over.

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}The 8th class version of Pressured Gravitation costs 0 reiatsu. I'll start actually tracking if this escalates out of hand and becomes a NDE fight?

[Deleted]

Caballero jumped up and down in excitement when the Failure not only accepted their challenge, but introduced himself AND returned the same bow the tiny Hollow had given. They didn't get the part about an Emperor or favor, but it did not matter to them. Positively giddy, Caballero quickly ran toward one of the nearby walls, and took their small weapon off their backs for a moment. On a parallel of their first fight with Akira, they used the weapon to carve out two drawings on the wall. One would be the tiny Hollow themselves, a small stick figure with a big circle for a head and two horns jutting out of the top. The second would be a bigger stick figure with a big sword; that one was for Ren. Their art certainly left way too much to be desired, but hey, you couldn't ask much more from a Hollow that had never grabbed a pen in their life! Then, Caballero put three horizontal lines under each of them, and separated both with a larger, vertical line. A simple, first-to-three wins, a sort of a game. More in place with a sport competition than a real battle.

Then, the tiny Hollow would skitter back to where Ren was. Caballero showed him both their dagger-sized katana, which looked almost made for someone their size, and the stick they just had picked up. Since the Failure was the one being challenged, they had the right to choose what weapons to battle with. His own would be the pressurized blade that he had created out of thin air. An incredible ability that made Caballero stare in awe, their young mind attempting to comprehend how that worked, but quickly returned to the matter at hand: whichever of the two the newly introduced Ren Akasawa would choose would be Caballero's weapon to duel with him.

Once that was said and done, Caballero would jump back to put some distance between them and make a salute with both oversized head and sword, although he dipped a bit too low and nearly lost his balance. They had to stumble forward and flail their arms a bit to keep themselves from tipping over, but they soon overcame it and recovered their balance. Caballero would look at Ren, forgetting the embarrassment of his latest antics, and focused themselves on the upcoming battle. It would be disrespectful to their opponent not to do so, specially when they had been the one to request the duel in the first place.

Again, another courtesy that was extended to the challengee was taking the very first move, so the tiny Hollow would not move until Ren started the fight himself. Caballero would hold a battle stance that clearly still needed refinement, but that at the very least already showed some improvements from their latest bouts with Shinigami and Hollows alike. It had slightly less openings, and was slightly better balanced than when they had first grabbed a stick. This should further clue Ren in about the true nature of the Hollow: that they were far from the feral monsters or beasts one may often come across in Karakura Town or Hueco Mundo. The man's own battle stance was also a bit strange, perhaps to make up for the size difference. If Caballero had learned something, it was that their size was a disadvantage, but it also opened up a slew of possibilities not available to everybody else. As long as they managed to steer clear from that blade, they should be able to find an opening to strike, right? But then Ren might have amazing technique and stop them in their tracks!

The little Hollow trembled ever so slightly. They were eager to start the match, and find out how their newest acquaintance would hold conduct themselves in one.



OOC: Nah, unless you want to kill Caballero they'll treat this as a friendly sparring match. Won't use any damaging techniques, they want a clean sword fight. Just their way of introducing themselves! You can keep track if you want though.

[Ren Akasawa]

The exile's eyes followed the tiny hollow's efforts at drawing with interest. It may not have had much in artistic merit, but the results still reinforced his assessment of the small hollow. Intelligent enough to be reasoned with and potentially open to being rallied against the shinigami. "Best three out of five? Your terms are accepted." Though he'd politely assume they knew what they were doing unless it proved otherwise once the swords started clashing, he did hope his tiny opponent proved more talented with the sword than they were with the pen. Beating someone who was both much shorter and inept would have been more of bullying a child than testing the resolve of a seemingly weak but skilled hollow.

Three to five rounds. That was plenty of time to enjoy a simple clash of sword against sword with no overtly supernatural advantages. Then again, the height difference might be an issue, and he was absolutely sure that his mostly external reiatsu would get in the way before this was over. By now it was already looking his challenger over, desperately seeking whatever it was his flood looked for in people? He didn't actually understand why it did the things it did, but he knew enough to tell understand it spent most of its time sleeping or else paying rapt attention to the people around him. Its mood always shifted to some third thing after it was done searching, but he hadn't developed an understanding of that one yet.

He looked to the ordinary stick and the sword that was more of a knife. They even wanted him to choose? Brave little thing, if they weren't a hollow he'd have considered claiming them as a squire. He'd have enjoyed having one of those. "Use your sword if you prefer. I'm using a sharp edge, that's all I have." It was only fair to give the bizarrely polite hollow the option to use a real sword, given his own improvised weapon was still far more sword-like than what a twig could aspire to. Besides, what harm could there be in practicing with live weapons? A few scrapes and shallow cuts wouldn't be the end.

He waited for the hollow to choose their weapon, then bowed respectfully and resumed his opening stance. Once it seemed appropriate to start, the former quincy settled into into a two-handed grip on the sword of pressure as he transitioned smoothly into the first strike of the duel. Stepping into range with a vertical stroke from the ground up. Intending to carve out the same rust-red arc into the air again, though this time his intent was different. More trying to force his tiny sparring partner back, or maybe cleave off a bit of horn if their reflexes proved faulty. Even so, Caballero had the slight speed advantage between them, maybe that would make the difference?

[Deleted]

Ren accepted Caballero's proposal of a battle, understanding the drawings. The little guy was very happy that their attempt at communication had gone through, and earnestly returned to their newly improvised battlefield amidst the warm rain, proceeding to show them their weapons. Unbeknownst to the Hollow, since they were far too focused on the upcoming bout, Ren seemed to be mildly amused by their display of intelligence.

Once the weapons were presented, Caballero nodded as Ren told them that it was alright for them to use their real sword, rather than a stick. After all, the Failure had nothing else to battle with, a problem that had actually befallen Caballero until the day they somehow acquired that tiny katana. Thus, they nodded in understanding, putting the blade on their back again for a few moments. The tiny Hollow excitedly used Tendón to stretch their arm and leave the stick aside instead of tossing it, displaying a certain sense of care for things that were not even their own--although the moment they had grabbed the stick, they might have started thinking they actually owned it. Once that was done, they quickly retracted the arm and adopted their still-improving fighting stance with their dagger-sized katana.

Caballero had no intention of using Tendón during battle, as this would strictly be a duel concerning swordsmanship as far as they were concerned. This competition was no place for any Hollow tricks, not even if they granted them victory. After all, was there any need to win? No, this was a way for the Hollow to learn more about the other person, to turn an acquaintance into a potential friend. Hey, it had worked with Akira, so their young mind had mistaken this for a cause-effect relationship. A flawless plan, in Caballero's mind: fight someone, learn from them, befriend. Yes, an unfallible method--so far--for expanding one's social circle.

After the two of them were standing ready, the duel could officially begin. Ren took the offered courtesy, and opened the fight with a swing in an upwards arc, rising from the ground toward the air to make sure Caballero would not just slip by due to their short stature. Memories of the first battle with Akira flashed through their mind. The strength differential had been too much then, so it certainly would be too much now, considering Caballero's physical prowess hadn't increased as a result of them not properly feeding like the rest of their kin. Thus, this led the Hollow to take advantage of their build--and perhaps the minuscule edge in speed they had over their opponent because of that fact--to dodge the blade.

Caballero skittered to the side, one of their preferred maneuvers. Ren's weapon came dangerously close to nicking one of their horns, but the tiny creature managed to pass by unscathed and untouched by the blade. The weight behind the swing and the amount of air displaced all but screamed the fact that the Failure was strong. Very strong, physically at least. Even if they blocked one of those strikes, Caballero would undoubtedly be made to fall back, something Ren could use to break their guard and strike. Avoid the blade at all costs became the Hollow's new imperative to give him a proper one on one match.

Taking advantage of that first dodge, the Hollow moved onto the offensive on their own. They, too, had their strengths, unpolished as they were. Hoping to take advantage of the time it took to bring the blade back to guard, Caballero jumped forward and held their katana, ready to strike with a horizontal cut. If Ren was observant, they'd see the way the Hollow had gripped the katana would ensure they would strike with the blunt side, not the edge. They hadn't gone for a thrust either, despite the fact that it would be the most effective way to attack during a forward lunge.

All in all, Caballero didn't want to hurt Ren, even if he was far sturdier than they were.

[Ren Akasawa]

The exile had already decided not to use stepping techniques unless the hollow displayed one first, and he'd ruled out any barriers or bindings entirely. This was a matter of pure sword skill, and he'd been wanting that for quite a while before this duel. Not that it was much of a restriction for the former quincy to only use the techniques he was best at and enjoyed wielding. He assumed his tiny opponent shared that sentiment, or else they wouldn't have challenged him to this kind of competition to start with.

Ren wouldn't able to maneuver the sword back down before he'd reached hit the height of his initial swing, there was too much momentum involved in that particular technique. That limitation cut his defensive options down to evasion for the moment, forced him to take a half-step back that curved his rising slash. Not enough, the hollow's blade still reached him, tip drawing a shallow cut, really more of a scrape, through Ren's lower leg. Not a fatal wound to the failure, but certainly enough for make it clear that Caballero won that first round.

The shallow wound did not bleed, more accurately it couldn't as Ren's failing spirit-body didn't have any veins to bleed with. A shallow cut like that could only leak reiatsu, making little difference to the thin and sluggish flood that already pooled around him. Something deeper would be instantly fatal, though the wolkenritter showed little concern for that possibility. His path was one of aimlessly crusading with sword in hand, ending in either ascension to the ranks of the Emperor's chosen or in guttering out like a candle in a strong wind.

"Point for you." He lowered his sword, mush less energetic than he'd been during that fleeting first exchange of blows. Red eyes stared down at the diminutive hollow and waiting for a reaction, he had to see how they reacted to their small victory in this first round before anything else could start. Though he had the feeling they were meant to return to their starting positions and postures before they resumed their match.

[Deleted]

Caballero's counter attack worked perfectly. Well, perhaps perfectly might be a stretch for a being with a technique as flawed as the little Hollow's, but they had managed to strike the opponent at the very least. Intentionally dulling their blade made it so nothing more than a scrape would be left in Ren's body. Now, if the Hollow had more worldly experience, they may have been weirded out by the fact that no blood came out of the nick in the Failure's body. No, the wound would leak Reiatsu instead, with Caballero only being able to perceive it due to being in the very immediate vecinity. Even so, considering the Hollow's own body was made of their condensed black Reiatsu, far more dense than what would be usual, they may have thought that Ren was just built the same way too.

Following Akira's advice back from their first meeting, Caballero immediately jumped back after delivering the strike. In a real fight, you either ensure the opponent cannot continue, or take precautions not to leave yourself overly exposed. Since theirs was a friendly bout and nothing more, the tiny creature would simply put distance between them, ready to face any possible retaliation. However, Ren displayed a similar amount of courtesy and chivalry by acknowledging the tiny creature getting the first point. Upon hearing those words, Caballero's stance immediately dropped for a second, and they slightly bowed their heads, as a way of thanking the opponent for that first round.

The tiny being then skittered toward the improvised drawing board where they kept tally, and nicked the concrete wall by quickly whipping their blade, extending their arm via Tendón. Although they had only done this instinctively to return to their duel as soon as possible, a part of Caballero's conscious mind took note of what they had just done. They stared at their arm and blade for a moment, taking note on an additional possible use of their most basic ability, one that before may had just been an unconscious action. Nodding to themselves, the tiny Hollow quickly returned to face Ren for the second time.

The Failure had been waiting for Caballero to return, so when the little creature brandished their blade again, they waited for Ren to do the same. Once the two of them were ready, Caballero would take the initiative this time and plunge into battle, intending to deliver the next strike to put themselves another point above in the duel. Granted, their limited experience and lack of a proper adult mind greatly hindered their ability to improvise or be creative--what little of those they had was owed to their own instincts as a Hollow. But Hollow were rarely swordsmen, leading to Caballero's options being severely limited in that front. Thus, they fell into what they had become a default habit by now: the tiny Hollow would rush toward Ren in hopes of overtaking them with the very slight edge in speed their tiny size conferred them, only to cut to the left at the very last second, hoping that the opponent would attempt to block an initial strike.

If that feint was successful, Caballero would attempt to deliver a second strike in a very similar fashion to the first. By this point, however, Ren might have seen enough of how the little Hollow attempted to use their tiny size to their advantage, and come up with a strategy to counter them. Rationally speaking, the Failure was the one with an advantage, since he should be able to plan much further ahead than Caballero.

While all this was happening, the tiny Hollow was blissfully unaware of the fact that Ren's Flood was slowly, but surely, building up. Their complete lack of ability to sense energy rendered them blind to this particular fact, all while they innocently attempted to just have a friendly bout with their newest acquaintance.

[Ren Akasawa]

The flood hadn't been building so much as slow to react. While the hollow had been standing in the thin and sluggish pool of Ren's reiatsu since the the first attempts at communication between the two swordsmen, even after the short first round of dueling it still struggled to take in something it needed to function. It was hard to say if that had been a sign of something. It certainly could have implied a faulty foundation, a deeply rooted rejection of some aspect of himself, or even that Ren simply didn't have enough reiatsu to fuel the flood properly. It was impossible to tell which if any of those had been true at the time.

Ren bowed slightly and returned to a starting position once more. He'd kept his sword higher this time, an attempted correction for the flaws in his first strike. Not a perfect correction, the self-proclaimed knight didn't have enough skill, knowledge, or experience to fully adjust to such a small target. Then again, nearly all the fun of a duel came from the difficulty. Too difficult and things became frustrating, too easy and it wouldn't spark any feeling at all. For now he had been basking in the middle range, the joy he found in adversities where he had the chance to prove himself. Every forceful movement was an attempt to wring that much more challenge from the tiny hollow.

He hadn't guarded or evaded when he saw his opponent charging in, instead he'd reflexively began a counteroffensive with a powerful horizontal swing, high enough to sweep above Caballero's head before the momentum behind the slash pulled Ren down to one knee and continued into a sweeping spin down on the tiny being's level. The would-be knight swept his sword through a full rotation with intent to force the hollow out of range. Sliding around on one knee with enough force to wear away at his already threadbare pants. It hadn't been an ideal tactic, but he'd hoped the wide area and unintuitive startup would be advantages in this situation.

Eschewing traditional defenses in favor of forcing an rival out of their effective range with constant aggression, that had become a core tenant of his style early on. Far from ideal for a failure, but it was what he had an aptitude for ever since he'd been cast off the path of an archer. Besides, what could have better reflected the his distorted delusions? A sword that swept wide swaths like a cloud blotting out the sky. An obstacle that cuts off the path between heaven and earth, guarding a sun king and his loyal stars from the masses below without being on the level of either.

[Deleted]

As Caballero dashed toward Ren, the Failure's stance didn't initially change, but then he broke into an arching sweep, swinging the blade in a rather unorthodox manner. The momentum dragged Ren forward, causing him to skid on one knee and advance just a little more, completing a full spin. The maneuver took Caballero off-guard, since that movement resembled nothing like the tiny Hollow had seen before. Furthermore, Ren's longer range had rendered their attempt at a faint all but useless. Unable to attack, Caballero was pressed into defense instead, bringing their blade between their black, void-like body and the opponent's weapon. Unfortunately for Caballero, this didn't do much but avoid some damage, because the Failure's superior strength went straight through the parry and launched the Hollow back a few meters, what with them being probably far smaller and lighter than any other opponent Ren had fought by that point.

Caballero did their best to regain their balance so as to not fall to the ground, skidding on the concrete with their stubby little feet and eventually using their katana to further balance themselves. Their battle stance became neutral once again after a few seconds, although they did not attack. The tiny being would consider this a point of Ren, of course. After all, had their bout been a life or death situation, it would have forced Caballero into a bad position, while also countering their offensive at the same time. Perhaps it was not the most polished technique, but if it worked, it worked. As such, the little Hollow happily went over to the wall in which they kept their tally, putting the first nick under the Failure's scoreboard. Now they were tied, one to one. Each of them need only two more points to win!

Excited, the young Hollow returned to the starting position, and after waiting for any further feedback from Ren's part, bowed to signal the start of the third round. This time, Caballero would not attempt a frontal assault. Even with the speed and size differences, it had been easy for Ren to come up with a way to level the playing field. As such, Caballero would need to lean more on their natural strengths and talents if they wanted to win the next round. Thus, the tiny critter gripped their blade tightly and plunged into battle once again.

The strategy was simple. Caballero once again dashed toward Ren, but instead of feinting, they turned to the left, attempting to fully circle the Failure and hopefully confuse them with their speed. The tiny Hollow hadn't stopped their charge at an arbitrary distance, either. After the two last exchanges, they had at least a basic feel for the range of their opponent's blade. Of course, their spacing could definitely use some improvement, since Caballero was not the most accurate at battle analysis yet. However, they were learning from experience, and they did so better than most. Although the world around them was slightly blurred, Caballero's ability to keep focused in battle allowed them to perform such a maneuver while keeping track of their foe, all without stumbling and falling down. That would've been embarrassing!

If they managed to spot an opening from Ren after circling him around a few times, Caballero would attempt to attack from there, using their katana with the blunt side and delivering yet another horizontal slash. Given the safety distance between the two of them, the tiny critter would need to change directions if they wanted to hit the Failure; the fact that they were choosing not to use the sharper parts of the blade meant that, unfortunately, piercing lunges were out of the question.

[Ren Akasawa]

It was in the moment that the miniature hollow went flying from the force of a failed parry that Akasawa realized how little his opponent must have actually weighed. He hadn't even considered that as a factor in their duel, just another aspect he'd overlooked somewhere between his battle focus and the general haze of details he'd been overlooking. Those hadn't mattered to him at the time, the point he'd just scored did. That had meant another step towards victory before the flood could catch up with him, a bit more of the friendly match he'd been free to enjoy with nothing but the art of the sword. He hadn't had one like this in... he didn't remember, it had to have been before he made it back to Karakura? Or while he was away?

The failure stabbed the tip of his pressurized gravitation into the asphalt, using the improvised sword as a support while he pulled himself back to a standing position. Even if it had worked, he'd left himself more vulnerable than usual with that stunt. He'd have to remember not to try that in a real battle, at least until his recovery time improved enough. Ren dropped that train of thought as he returned to where he'd started once more. Anything important still had to wait another two rounds at least, probably the full three. There wasn't time to waste on distractions when he already felt blood drive so close to intruding on their fun. He had to focus on the duel for the sake of both of their enjoyment.

For his part, the failure would try to charge towards the circling hollow, sword held outwards in a low-angled thrust. Though betweeen Ren's rather careless defenses and Caballero's superior speed, the hollow had plenty of openings in the self-titled knight's defenses to choose from, landing another shallow cut from behind while the failure's thrust hit empty street. "You win again." The way he said it was almost affectionate, the joy he'd found in lighthearted combat seeped into his voice. He'd already planned to give a recruitment pitch after the duel, but now he actually thought that if he pointed the odd hollow in the right direction they'd actually make it all the way and earn their miraculous resurrection as part of the quincy empire.

After he'd returned to the now familiar starting position and waited for his honorable little opponent to add their tally mark and do the same, he took a deep breath to get his focus back on the joyful clash of swords. He'd expected the hollow to charge towards him again and done his best to take preemptive measures this round. He jumped, twisting in midair to both pull his legs up out of Caballero's reach and to initiate a downward slash poised to carve a diagonal line through the street below. He'd be practically undefended hanging in the air, but he'd accepted the risk as part of resorting to striking the largest area he could in an attempt to catch a small target with saturation rather than precision.

[Deleted]

Caballero's choice in attempting to use their speed to overtake the advantage a lenghtier blade conferred Ren had seemingly been the proper choice. The initial dash and the sudden change in directions to circle the Failure had led their opponent to attempt a rather careless, upward swing that, while well-placed--since it was at a height that would ensure Caballero wouldn't scurry by through size alone--left Ren open. Instead of ducking under, Caballero's run had extended past said strike, allowing them to jump and deliver the horizontal slash. The blunt side of the katana still seemed to be enough to nick the Failure ever so slightly, although nothing that would be too serious or that would prevent or hinder any of his movements. In fact, if he felt any pain at all, it'd most likely be an afterthought.

After delivering that strike, Caballero quickly jumped back, wanting to put some distance to avoid a counter attack. They did this more by instinct than anything else, since the point system they had established ended the round with one blow. However, their first duel against Akira still ran true. In a real fight, they could not take any chances. Of course, Ren did not attempt a strike immediately afterward, and instead relaxed his stance while conferring Caballero another point for their strike. Whereas before his voice had been colder, that was slowly beginning to change. By not being able to speak, the tiny being was actually becoming quite adept at picking up such changes--nothing out of the ordinary, they just happened to pay more attention to them than most people. Thus, the tiny being happily skittered back to the board, putting a second point under their own 'image'. This meant that the duel was now one point away from concluding at the very least, but there was still plenty of ways for the Failure to make a comeback and take the non-existent trophy home.

Taking a second look at the board and attempting not to get too nervous at a possible winning point, the tiny Hollow returned to the starting position, although not as quickly this time. They were having a fun time with this friendly bout, and it was a good way not just to test their mettle and drill particularly important skills they had acquired along the way, but also to make new friends. It was about the only type of quality time that Caballero had known, perhaps owing to their real nature as a Hollow. However, as all things had to come to an end, there was no point in keeping Ren waiting any longer. They bowed to the towering swordsman and brandished their trusty 'Zanpakuto' once again, ready for what may come.

Probably due to the result of the previous round, this time it was Ren who took the initiative. Caballero's body tensed with excitement, tightening their stance. That was it! That was the spirit! That was how a duel should be, whether it was a friendly one or not! After cutting the distance between them, Ren jumped into the air, preventing Caballero from taking any easy shots at his legs, then twisting to deliver a downward, diagonally aimed slash.

There were two things Caballero could do at that moment. They could try to get out of the blade's way and attempt a counter attack, which would be the most reasonable option... but not the one they wanted to take. If they had any mouth to grin, they would've done so at that moment: the tiny Hollow gleefully jumped up with their own blade and delivering a slash of their own. Sparks flew and a metallic echo roused the streets as the two edges collided and remained locked in place... for a fraction of a second.

See, with the difference in strength between the two, it was a given that Caballero was going to be knocked down by Ren's attack. However, they couldn't care less. They had chosen to clash blades for one reason, and one reason only: it looked so damned cool. While they were close to victory, one would do well to remember that, at heart, Caballero was still at the level of a child. With plenty of maturing to be done, the tiny being just basked in their delusions by picturing the clash between two brave warriors on a battle to prove their mettle to the other. A little vain, perhaps a power fantasy for the Hollow in a certain way, even if they were the one losing that clash.

Thus, they were easily sent down to the ground, ending with them flat on their back. Bouncing on the ground hurt, and it would easily cost Caballero a point if Ren was quick and keen enough with the follow up. However, they would always defend that making that sacrifice had been completely worth it! In the event the Failure was not quick enough, Caballero would get back on their feet and recompose by attempting to put some distance between them, powering through the sharp pain of the blow on their back via their strength of will; of course, it wasn't precisely a nasty injury, so they would be fine.

[Ren Akasawa]

This must have been one of the top ten battles in the history of Karakura, maybe even top three. Ren smiled as he drank in the moment as the brave little hollow clashed against his aerial slash. Yes, he'd chased a moment of glory like this ever since he got back to this town. Shame nobody had seen how cool two the of them just were. But the moment was fleeting, and his strength advantage had just been made very, very visible as his opponent went flying back again. Still one of the best clashes he'd been in during his admittedly short career as a tragic wandering knight in search of his majesty's grace.

But while the wolkenritter had been drank in the feeling, his flood had finally started to drink in whatever information or aspect it had wanted from Caballero. Ren could feel his aura's analysis reaching the final stage, the broken release he couldn't control or stop was so determined to intrude on- No. No, no no no! This wasn't the time to break down, he still needed to finish this duel with the hollow who'd shown so much promise. Just a bit more time, a few more slashes, another point or two to finish this. He'd have accepted it catching up during the speech he'd planned for after the duel, but not during.

He didn't understand blood drive, that was fine. He'd assumed it needed to take something from someone in order to work, because it slept whenever he was alone. When the flood 'woke up', the frantic activity was always in response to another soul who'd too close. The moment it had noticed anyone it became frantic, though Ren hadn't seen others react to being searched for whatever mystery attribute the flood was so fixated on. No, the reactions he'd seen were always a response to the more visible effects when that search ended. What he did know that night was that he didn't want to see the hollow's pulled out of a proper duelist mindset and into a frenzy.

The blade of pressure continued on from the clash, deflected from its initial course but still bearing enough momentum to pull the failure through a complete three hundred and sixty degree turn. The blade of dark red colored energy swept a broad arc above him in the air, its trail resembling a rusted and broken rainbow as it cleaved empty air. Ren overused spins in combat, he'd accepting the extra vulnerability when he'd momentarily turned his back on the enemy as a fair price for an attack that flowed naturally into a follow up strike with the least amount of extra effort. Coming back down, the failure's blade carved into the ground again in a second strike. Somewhat weakened by the earlier clash yet by no means safe to stand in the way of.

The sword twisted out of alignment with a jerky forceful movement on the weilder's part, the sudden wrenching bit deeper into the asphalt as Ren used his weapon to swing himself back upright and land unsteadily on his feet. That maneuver had shifted the majority of the impact from landing onto his sword, but it had left him out of breath. He didn't have enough stamina to do that again, another reason he had to finish this match without dragging anything out. Panting for breath, he looked around to make sure he hadn't accidentally torn Caballero in half during that sword-based landing.