Rise of the Inner Hollow [R, NDE]

[Shiki Kanzaki]

Participants: Kyomei Kuchiki and Shiki Kanzaki
World: Human World
Thread Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: R
Location:

Do you remember where Kyomei and Shiki fought for the first time? Yeah, the parking garage that suffered immense destruction and was thought to be a terrorist attack? Well, they are fighting there again with bigger guns in their arsenals. Today, there will be a grand opening for the memorial for those who died in that last "terrorist attack".

Special Conditions:

For the sake of plot and for fun, Shiki is allowed to use Bankai since he has the 3rd seat Bankai slot. This special condition is made for the inner hollow's entrance to be more epic.

Also, another special condition to make the scene even more epic, Shiki is allowed to prepare explosive devices such as grenades and C4 explosives, free of charge. This is mainly used to cause more destruction to this newly built monument in the middle of our fight.

Lastly, this battle was meant to go all out so Shiki and Kyomei did not take limiters if they have any.

Circumstances:

Shiki Kanzaki, 3rd Seat of Squad 6, is a class 3 Vizard Hopeful fighting against Kyomei, the Kidou Corps Commander, who is a class 1 Shinigami TM. From their last fight, Shiki progressed and learned extremely quick. Now it is time for Kyomei to examine how much Shiki improved. The two friendly shinigami have agreed to meet at the exact same place they fought at last time, both of them allowed to make the necessary preparations for battle.

[Shiki Kanzaki]

The day finally came when Kyomei offered a rematch to check up on how Shiki was doing and how far he grew since his last match. Kyomei had given Shiki a one month notice, so Shiki trained hard for an entire month. He had gone through both Alice intense zanpakutou training and even through Pride's battle experience training. Shiki had finally got back to where he was before, not exactly as good as during his Blood Reaper legacy but decent enough to take down fullbringers and vice captain shinigami with ease.

According to his battle records, he has already taken down two vice captains as a 6th seat. In both fights, he learned how to use and master shikai, the first release of his zanpakutou. Even with no energy sensory at all, he has even developed use of several kidou, learning two hadou, Soukahou and Raikouhou, and two bakudou, Kaze Utsuwa and Kokuin. He also trained in the art of demonic kidou such as Youatsu and Ketsueki to further improve his combat capabilities. Instead of only having shunpo like last time, he has created two new hohou, Shunsou and Stagnate.

Now that Shiki is fully equipped with techniques and abilities, he was nearly ready to fight Kyomei again. This time, he was going to go into the fight prepared. Since Kyomei was a former member of squad 6, Shiki knows a great deal about him without much research needed to be done. Turns out the kyomei was a technique master, a shinigami without a zanpakutou that uses kidou as his main source of combat. He also noted that his spiritual abilities are abnormally high for a normal shinigami because of this. Which means, Shiki would have to worry about cutback.

In order to fight against cutback, Shiki would have to prepare all sorts of explosives and kidou to fight against him. First, Shiki would have to prepare a magic crest to store his kidou in order to combat against Kyomei's kidou casting speed. Shiki remembered the first time he fought Kyomei, his kidou casting was faster than Shiki could react. With Bakudou #70: Kokuin, Shiki could engrave and store pre-incanted spells onto his body to use any time in case of instant cast. Engraving a rune in the back of Shiki's right fist, he began incanting soukahou into crest.

Due to speaking the full incantations of the kidou, the rune now stores kidou that are boosted in reiatsu strength, a 35% increase on soukahou (405 RS). Since the rune can only store up to 800 reiatsu, Shiki could only store one soukahou inside. After finishing his kidou preparations, he began to head towards the senkaimon to the human world. In the human world, he would go steal some explosives from a few random gangs and organizations that he knew. These were organizations that built weapons to combat spirits like hollow and shinigami. If Shiki wasn't careful, they could easily kill him with bullets effective against spiritual entities.

Shiki decided to first find a chemistry lab in the chemical engineering department of a random university. He did a ton of research and learned how to create certain explosives. Dissolving mercury inside nitric acid and adding ethanol to the solution, he attempted to create fulminated mercury in the form of crystal methamphetamine, a psycho-stimulant drug that is sold on the streets. After failing several times, he finally made the perfect mercury (II) fulminate and stuffed it all in a plastic bag. He approached the organization's headquarters and smirked, It's show time...

Requesting to visit the boss, the gangsters escorted Shiki in and confiscated all weapons that were a threat, including his zanpakutou and artificial ones. They felt down his entire body to make sure he had no hidden weapons or any of that bullshit. Shiki walked in with guns pointed to the back of his head as he presented the bag of what was thought to be "meth" in exchange for spiritual weapons. The boss of the organization looked at the crystals and glared at Shiki, "Who the fuck do I look like to you? You think just twenty pounds of fucking meth is enough money for the weapons I make?! Get the fuck out of here"

"Whhhhatttt?! This shit is $1700 an ounce. C'mon man, that's like $544,000 worth of dope," Shiki proclaimed, picking up a piece of crystal to show the boss his amazing product. The boss began laughing as he pulled out an M1911 and pointed it at Shiki's head, "I think it's time for you to leave, Shinigami. This gun has been personally modified by myself to fire bullets at physical stats of 400. This can blow your fucking head off! So I'll be keeping the meth and you can go suck one... Bitch..."
Expecting to hear such insolent words, Shiki did nothing more but smirk as he tightened the grip around the crystal mercury (II) fulminate in his hands. That original gangster had no idea who he was dealing with. He was dealing with the fucking Blood Reaper that ruled Japan before this guy even changed his diapers.

"Actually, this stuff right here... is not meth," Shiki said with an mischievous smirk on his face as he threw the piece of crystal he had on his hands, which for your information contained about 100 grams of fulminated mercury. In reality, fulminated mercury was actually a very unstable substance that is extremely sensitive to shock impact, friction, heat and even sparks. 50 grams of this shit was enough to blow an entire room to kingdom come. However, being the asshole that he is, Shiki decided to throw twice that amount right on the boss's desk, right in front of his face. Even I would shit my pants in fear if an explosive of that caliber was thrown that close to me.

Suddenly, a white explosion set off on boss's desk. Blowing away not only the gun on his hands but his fucking arm off as well as injuring the rest of his body with that one blast. Shiki used the force of the shockwave to perform a double back flip and slid across the room as half the room was already blown to smithereens. Right as Shiki landed, he just remembered that there was a TWENTY FUCKING POUNDS OF THAT SHIT ON HIS DESK. Right before Shiki could react, the initial explosion had already caused a chain reaction that blew the LIVING FUCK out of the entire base, nearly decimating everyone in that area.

Everything turned black. Nothing more...

Why did he do that? Why take so much risk when he could've just released his zanpakutou and destroyed them all? Well, he was inspired by this recent TV show called "Breaking Bad" and decided to try making Fulminated Mercury as an improvised explosive device. He thought it was badass but it turned out to be a huge fail. Let's take it that we all learned a lesson here called, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME. Shiki obviously fucked up MARGINALLY trying to pull that stunt. But fortunately, luck was on Shiki's side. If it wasn't for that fat vested bodyguard who just happened to be standing in front of him, Shiki would've been dead.

Shiki slowly woke up in a pile of what used to be the organization's entire headquarters with that giant bodyguard laying on top of him. The bodyguard was dead due to the shock of the full force explosive, even with heavy bullet-proof armor, and he absorbed the entire impact for Shiki to come out unharmed. It was almost as if it was a miracle that Shiki was one of the only people that made it out alive from the entire explosion. Shiki went around the dead bodies trying to dig up as many weapons as possible. He also managed to get back his weapons that were confiscated by the bodyguards.

The first thing he got was the boss's personal M1911 pistol, that would certainly come in handy. The next thing he got was a bunch of magazines for the pistol. He also found two hand grenades from the body guard's equipment pouch. He found an light bullet-proof vest and decided to put that on as well since it may come in handy when dealing with physical attacks and possibly low-tier kidou. It provided the right amount of defense without compensating his own speed. Shiki picked up a few wireless detonation kits, stuffed everything in a large bag and decided to head back to the chemistry lab to make more explosives.

Wait... WHAT??!?! After everything that just happened, Shiki plans to make more of that... Oh dear God... somebody stop him. Please. If he plans on making more of that fulminated mercury, someone shoot me now. DOES HE NOT LEARN FROM HIS GODDAMN MISTAKES? However, this time Shiki decided to play a little safer. The first thing he did was modify the spiritual bullets by infusing powdered fulminated mercury into the cartridge, thus creating explosive bullets. Given that 50 grams was enough to blow an entire room to kingdom come, Shiki infused only 10 grams in most of the cartridges.

However, he left one specific magazine that was infused with fulminated silver, which is much more powerful and unstable than mercury fulminate. Marking that specific magazine with silver spray-paint, he moved on to modifying the grenades to have fulminated mercury fragments. This way, the grenades would have a double explosion effect, having the fragments explode right after the initial detonation. Lastly, he wired up the rest of his fulminated silver to the wireless detonation systems that he stole, this way he can set detonator-controlled traps for the battle ahead. He took a small bag of leftover crystal mercury fuliminate and headed out to the battle field with all his equipment.

Arriving at the newly built parking garage, Shiki set up all the silver fulminate detonator-controlled explosives on the main support pillars of the building. Shiki made sure to hide them well as well as the detonator in his pockets so that Kyomei wouldn't know what he was up to. Little that Shiki know that this entire set up would be futile against someone as powerful as the kidou commander. After a few hours of preparation, Shiki wiped off his sweat and began meditating to rest up before the fight, waiting for Kyomei to arrive. It has already been a long fucking day and the battle hasn't even started. Oh Jesus. Like always, Shiki overdoes everything.

Reiatsu: 3500/4500
-400 for Kokuin
-600 for Soukahou

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Strength - [100 (x.70)] 70 Points

Speed - [200] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300 (x1.5)] 450 Points

Reiatsu Strength - [300] Points

Senses - [150] Points

Instinct - [150] Points

Energy Sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP - 1200 Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills}
Martial Arts - Mixed Martial Arts / Jeet Kune Do [2]

Weapons - Knife/Dagger [2]

Weapons - Firearm [2]

Bloodline Skill - Self-Hypnosis [2]

Bloodline Power - Necros Rejection [2]

Battle Analysis [2]

Acrobatics - Tricking/Bboying [1]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Equipment}
2 mercury fragment grenades

Modified M1911 Handgun (400 Strength/Speed)

2 mercury .45 ACP cartridges (40/20)

2 silver .45 ACP cartridges (10/10)

Light Bullet-Proof Vest

20 crystals of 25-gram Mercury Fulminate

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Power was something earned, and through the course of his life, Kyomei Kuchiki had done more than most to earn his power. Most souls began their time in the Rukongai, but few waited as long as the former Mitsukaru did in order to have spiritual powers awaken within them. And even when they did awaken, he never reached the point where he felt complete as a shinigami. Never having a Zanpakutou to call his own, or a Spirit inside his heart to guide him when he needed it most, it was a lonely road that he walked. He had seen friends come and go, especially when he began his meteoric rise in strength and rank. Graduating from Sixth seat directly to Kidou Corps Commander by way of taking the ancient test proved that he was ready for the responsibility.

However, he was feeling much older than he used to. In a short time span, events had caused him to lose his strong will. Despite his impressive spiritual presence keeping him young, the man now looked to be in his late thirties. His once luscious brown hair had started to darken, and he kept it shorter now as well, keeping it up out of his face. Some loose strands fell in front of his face, but the majority of its volume stretched back. The face that was once full of youth and vibrancy had become worn out, stretched, and took a scowl more often than it used to. What had changed most was his eyes. Instead of the deep mahogany color they used to have, they had grown more dim. All signs of age, and all contributing to a much older looking Kuchiki.

The Kidou Corps was starting to fill out and reach out to the other squads, ending a long period of isolation. The lack of leadership and members had kept the Seireitei from having a force that did little more than study the mystical arts. And now that the Kidou Corps had reopened, enthusiasts from all over the Gotei 13 were flocking in to study and learn these arts. It had kept Kyomei very busy and kept him away from most of his former classmates and rivals. Even though he had been able to welcome Taien Hadohou into his ranks as his Vice Commander, it still didn't make him feel whole. There were so many Shinigami that he had intense connections with, and had lost from being so far away. Though they shared the same general location, rank had separated them all.

There was Kisune Karnon, a mentor to Kyomei during his first week in the Academy. Whatever that guy had gone on to do with his life and career, Kyomei didn't know. Kisune had trained him to fight with what he had, and use his talents to his advantage. The former Mitsukaru had been such a stick in the mud back then. Always trying to fix people and avoid dirt. A lot of life had passed him by because he was too narrow minded to see it. Things had to be his way, or he'd blast them with kidou. If things seemed to be the same right now, it was only because war hardened even the most open of hearts. But his heart had been cold and hard even without wartime messing with it.

There had been Akeru Kurohi, the classmate and rival. He had been superior to Kyomei in every way but one. He wasn't clever enough. The younger student had forced him into a tie their first spar, by causing his new Shunpo to careen out of control into a wall. The next fight had been easy, with the older student failing to avoid a shot in the chest. And in between the second and third rounds... Kyomei's eyes had been opened. There was the cloud hanging over him, telling him that he already had awakened his Zanpakutou from his soul. But it was a lie. It was a trick that was played on him by some higher power, fooling him into believing he owned what he would never call his own. Even armed with Shikai, Akeru had not been able to defeat an Enlightened Kyomei.

Numerous other friends had gone by the wayside. Raygin Sakubara, now Kawada, had been someone trained by Kyomei once, then never seen again. Same with Kyousei Kito. These two young men had seen the power of a lonely Shinigami, cut off from the defining characteristic of a Soul Reaper, the one thing that let Souls be sent to the Soul Society. They hopefully learned to treasure their spirits, but it was doubtful. Kyomei didn't really set a good example of someone who would want a spirit. He just doesn't talk about it much, though he craves for someone to be with him forever, talking to him when he needs it most. Those two Vice Captains had been fun companions to fight, but never a real challenge.

Then... The Kuchiki remembered those who had passed. Kyosuke... Hibiki... The memories were painful, both equally painful but in different ways. Kyosuke had been a classmate that had been turned into a monster at the hands of the wretched Ogatago and put to rest at the Kuchiki's own hand. The thought of that base brought back so many poor memories that the tears already began to flow, and he hadn't even thought about... Hibiki... The man was like a brother to the Commander, they had even traded blood in a bond that exceeded friendship. They were brothers by blood ritual, and had both been adopted into the same family and were brothers by law as well. His memory was a pleasant one, especially since he did die in the line of duty.

With all of the memories of people who had passed him by, he was pleased that one such person didn't. Shiki Kanzaki, a fearsome man with a taste for fun, had been trained early on in his career by Kyomei. Even though the then-Sixth seat was overwhelmingly more powerful than Shiki, the kid gave it his all and managed to make it fun. There was a lot of wanton destruction that went on, though they were careful to make sure no humans got terribly hurt. Well, Kyomei was careful about that. In the end, a swift blow to the neck had left the guy passed out and ready for help from Squad 4. He did, however, warrant closer watching. The guy was pretty crazy, and very determined, even turning a helicopter on the Kuchiki at one point in time.

Having grown to the rank of Third Seat, from a lowly nonseated officer, in really no time at all, Kyomei was happy to invite him to a rematch. The Commander was wrapped up in his upcoming exam to see if he would actually take the vacant spot left by Hinsshi, so he gave Shiki a month to prepare. It was probably foolish, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. So when the month ended, the Kuchiki was quite excited to see what the rumored "master of explosives" had to offer. Not having even seen his Shikai before, he was going to be in for a really interesting combat encounter. When he saw the location the Third Seat had picked out, he just had to laugh. The place was the garage they destroyed before, and the day was a memorial for the lost building.

Knowing it was completely foolish, but doing it anyways, Kyomei arrived at the garage, just before the time for the memorial, and just waltzed right in. He would find Shiki meditating, whether it was genuine or an act would just have to be seen later. "Long time no see, Shiki. Like the new clothes?" Despite the aging body, his voice still sounded the same, so he'd be easily recognized. Not to mention that, but his Haori had the tri-cornered circle of the Kidou Corps inked onto the fabric, which would also be a dead giveaway. Not wasting any time, Kyomei hefted a loose section of rebar slightly shorter than he was, holding it in both hands and pointing it at Shiki. "Show me how much your potential has grown!"

SPOILER: Click to show

Stats:

[/b][/center]

Strength – [150] Points

Speed - [400] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400 (x4.5)] 1800 Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400 (x4.5)] 1800 Points

Light Aura - 75 Points

Dark Aura - 25 Points

Instinct - [250] Points

Senses [125] Points

Energy sensory - [75] Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1800 Points

Abilities

• [Special Skill: Kidou] {3}
  
  
• [Weapon Skill: Staff] {2}
  
  
• [Calm mind] {3}
  
  
• [Battle Skill: Other: Acrobatics] {3}
  
  
• [Battle analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Charisma/Leadership] {3}
  
  
• [Mental Casting] {1}
  
  Total SKP: 18
  

[/spoiler]

[Shiki Kanzaki]

Tap... tap... tap...

Shiki could hear the sound of the footsteps as his opponent approached him. As soon as the stepping sounds came to a stop, he slowly began to open his eyes, seeing Kyomei standing right in front of him completely unarmed. AHAHAHAHA! This dumbass just waltzed right in! As bold as always, aren't you... Kuchiki Kyomei! Pride laughed inside Shiki's mind as he stood up, remembering the last fight they had. To Pride, it was nothing more than payback time for beating the hell out of Shiki. No one in their right mind would just waltz into the Blood Reaper's battlefield without even taking precautions or preparations.

"Long time no see, Shiki. Like the new clothes?"

No matter how badly Shiki wanted to smirk, he kept a straight face for nothing more than deception. Last time, he was way too direct. This time, he would pull the right moves and fight him without having to rely on cutback. Shiki wanted to prove a point that he didn't need to use shinigami powers at all in order to win a fight. An attack that an opponent least expects is the short cut to all battles. To fight dirty is the only way for someone at Shiki's caliber to win against someone with greater class and power. If all the tricks up his sleeve went to hell, he would just have to release and go all out.

"Show me how much your potential has grown!"

Shiki gave Kyomei a nod out of respect, acknowledging Kyomei as a friend but keeping the stoic face of nothing of an assassin. Shiki checked his spiritual pressure and reiatsu strength with his soul gauge as Kyomei prepared to fight him head on. His spiritual pressure was off the charts, way above his for that matter. This meant that his signature cutback attack was not in his favor but rather against him. Shiki reached into his pocket with an unthreatening look on his face as Kyomei pointed a rebar at him. Shiki took a shiny mercury fulminate crystal from his pockets and tossed it toward Kyomei, "Hey, want some meth? I just happened to find some on the streets."

[spoiler=Play This Song][/spoiler]

The first trick up Shiki's sleeve was a disguised explosive. Because the crystal fuliminate looked so much like meth, it was very difficult to tell that it is actually a chemical explosive. If Kyomei decided to catch it, the unstable substance would most likely blow upon impact. If Kyomei decided to ignore it, it would serve as a good distraction explosive as soon as it hit the ground. Either way, an explosion would be unexpected according to Shiki's calculations. As soon as he passed the meth, he would use this opportunity to draw out the M1911 handgun while Kyomei's attention would be on the crystal.

Shiki pointed it straight at Kyomei as soon as the mercury fulminate crystal was already finishing its trajectory. Shiki got into his Zero Hojutsu fighting stance, the Blood Reaper's famous gun-styled combat. Shiki did not decided to shoot just yet, just preparing a stance and getting ready to open fire. He waited until the crystal fulminate made an explosion first. It didn't matter how it exploded or where. Shiki hoped it would catch his opponent off guard. Then as soon as it exploded, Shiki would open fire and send an explosive bullet straight toward Kyomei as a second attack, in case the initial sneak attack was somehow avoided or blocked.

However, in any case that the crystal did not explode, Shiki would decide not to shoot. Mainly due to confusion and caution in the case that Shiki had miscalculated and the event Shiki had predict did not occur. This itself would throw Shiki off slightly and bother him greatly. Thus, Shiki would be on the defensive side and would not open fire until Kyomei makes his next move. Shiki was almost certain this his plan was going to work though so he didn't really consider the all the possibilities of failure. However, would using a disguised explosive device really be a smart move? Find out on the next Dragon Ball Z!

Reiatsu: 3500/4500

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Last time on Dragon Ball Bleach Shiki tossed some random crystal at the Kidou Corps Commander, calling it meth. The Kuchiki just laughed and pointed his finger at it. The Sho that shot out of his finger was scaled back in power, exactly strong enough to counter the movement of the crystal. It hovered in the air, all momentum lost, for a moment, before being plucked out of the air by Kyomei's hand. Not knowing it was explosive, the Kuchiki just tossed it back at Shiki. If the Third Seat freaked out and got out of the way, only then would Kyomei know that there had been something special about it before it exploded. "You always did like your explosives... Let's see what you've got for me today! Maybe I'll even break a sweat!"

His friend was wielding a gun, similar to last time, but there must have been training going on between both of them. Shiki must have gotten better at shooting them, and having more powerful equipment, and Kyomei had definitely gotten better at defending against them. Dashing forwards at twice Shiki's speed, Kyomei got within effective range of the weapon in his hands. If Shiki was distracted by the crystal, or wasn't paying attention, in a flash the Commander would be within four feet of him and there would be danger. Kyomei started with a simple thrust, stabbing his rebar towards the gun in Shiki's hand. It wasn't to knock the weapon free, but to merely press over the barrel. If in instinctual response, the Kanzaki pulled the trigger, the concussive force would shatter the barrel of the weapon.

In the case that Shiki wasn't distracted or had already recovered his mental state, both of which were very possible, and had fired before Kyomei got within the four foot distance, then the skilled staff user would simply guide the bullet out of the way with his rebar staff, causing it to go off into the distance and collide into a pillar at the side of the parking garage. It would be the first of many rumblings in the building, but it had been built to withstand simple explosions, being a monument to the city's ability to defend against terrorist attack. What the builders hadn't planned for, however, was Kidou. And there would be a lot of it in the coming fight coming from the Kidou Corps Commander. But not quite yet. He was trying to hold back, train himself to be talented as a fighter even without his Kidou.

In the event that Kyomei got within the four foot radius, whether it was before or after a gunshot, he'd first strike at the hand holding the gun, rapping the wrist to cause pain. With his above average strength, he should be able to induce a sharp stinging sensation and bruise the skin and bone, but little more than that with such an improvised weapon, regardless of his skill. After hitting the inside of the hand with the sideways motion, he flicked the weapon back inside while extending it further, aiming to knock into the side and inflict pain in the ribs. From there, a Shunpo forwards would cause the rebar to be positioned perfectly to carry Shiki by the stomach and be thrown backwards into a pillar, breaking it with the force of the motion rivaling mach speeds.

Remaining Reiatsu: 17925/18000 (-25 Sho, -50 Shunpo)

[Shiki Kanzaki]

Yeah, so about that fulminated mercury crystal... Well... that plan kind of failed. Just like last time when Kyomei kicked the grenade back at Shiki. Brilliant. Just brilliant. This is kind of embarrassing. So much for trying to sneak attack the opponent like a dick. Like c'mon, this is Kyomei we are talking about here, a kidou corps commander. If there were one person in the entire soul society that is the best at knowing how Shiki fights and using his tricks against him, it would be this guy right here. By now, he probably already has some insight in Shiki's dirty tactics and battle strategies. Well, have fun getting blown up by your own explosives, Shiki!

Anyways, I digress. With Shiki's superhuman senses and instincts, he was able to completely detect and process the crystal coming to a stop, a strange movement in Shiki's predicted trajectory of the crystal. You could obviously tell that something was wrong with the physics here. The first thing that ran through Shiki's head was... OH GOD... Is this more of Kyomei's mind-blowing "holy shit wtf" magic?! It's that kidou shit! It must be! FUCK, I MISCALCULATED! From past experience, he just had the gut feeling that Kyomei was going to return that piece of crystal right back at him and God knows what's going to happen if it exploded anywhere near him.

Shiki had to do something quick and get rid of the crystal fast before Kyomei had a chance to retaliate let alone having his explosives used against him. Since he already had his gun out in front of him, his first reflex was to fire the gun. Since he was much better at using his weapons now, he aimed straight for the crystal as it decelerated to a complete stop. As Shiki pulled the trigger, a bullet would fly out of the barrel at blurring speeds and shoot directly into the crystal as it began to accelerate back toward Shiki. As the two explosives clashed in a head on collision, an enormous explosion would occur between the two fighters before.

At this point, if Kyomei had decided to rush Shiki, he would've been stopped by the explosion between them. Shiki slid back a several meters as to avoid the hazards and relieve the shock from such a large blast. If Kyomei were to get into the effective range of his rebar, he would have to do so after the explosion cleared. This would be Shiki's best chance to deal a surprise attack since a "short cut" cheap shot was his plan from the beginning But how...? That was the real question. Shiki quickly deduced, With all this debris produced from this explosion, I can effectively hide my next attack.

Since the cloud of debris was thick, it was difficult for Shiki to guarantee a successful shot at Kyomei with his next bullet. However, with the explosive tip, it could definitely guarantee an explosive area attack if he fired the bullet at the ground that Kyomei stood on or at least cause shock in that general area. Since that was his best bet, a shot at the ground of where he predicted Kyomei would be should do the trick. Shiki pointed his gun at a downward angle and fired a bullet through the cloud of debris to Kyomei's side. But if Kyomei had already disappeared from that area, well... that sucks... That bullet would've went to waste.

Anyways, it didn't matter. Shiki didn't really expect such a high ranking officer to be beaten by such a lowly tactic so he stuck his hand into his pocket to grab a modified grenade just in case. He decided that he would wait until Kyomei made his next move before he pulled the pin. This could also be a mistake on Shiki's side. Although he didn't really want to bombard everything he got at the beginning of the fight. Shiki decided to stand his ground and respond to his opponent's next move. It was a risky move but he was confident that his reflexes would serve him well.

Reiatsu: 3500/4500
Crystals: 19/20
Mercury-Ammo Magazine: 18/20

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Showing off his talent at aiming at a small target, Shiki fired his pistol to hit the crystal dead on, causing a large concussive explosion. Dirt and concrete dust filled the air as the layer of sediment from construction was scattered into the air. So the Third Seat had developed some sort of explosive that could be in both crystal form and bullet form. That was dangerous, but it was also useful information. Before the dust cloud could settle, Kyomei heard the pop of the gun again and decided that he didn't want to be standing where he had previously been.

Instead of running, which would only serve to make himself an easier target to hit with a follow up shot, Kyomei opted for the path that would cause himself a little pain, but would also be the most effective and surprising. His legs burning as if he just pulled a muscle in them, he jumped forwards using Shunpo, staff held out to the side. He'd speed past the bullet and avoid the second explosion just in time, and would simply appear out of the middle of the dust cloud, moving at incredibly high speeds. With his rebar held out to the side, he was aiming to merely crash into Shiki and send him flying backwards.

Still not used to the damage caused by the Baker yet... As Kyomei nursed his legs, he prepared for what Shiki was going to do next. The Shinigami would have been thrown backwards painfully into the pillar behind him, which would crack from the force but not much more damage than that to the building itself. It had been built up to code and beyond that for an anti-terrorism monument. If the Third Seat tried to fire more bullets at Kyomei, the Kuchiki would simply use his staff to guide them away from his body, taking care to avoid the tip as to not blow himself up.

When Shiki hesitated, or paused for a moment from firing, that is when the Kidou Corps Commander would make his move. Large Nuke Kidous were both costly in reiatsu and extremely taxing on Kyomei's nerves, what with the intense pain that comes from trying to cast them, and he wasn't about to destroy his friend, so he kept his attacks light. He opted for a technique familiar to the Third Seat, and gave him ample warning before it was cast. "Hado #50: Mabarashi Dangan." The small orb was fast, and it was invisible to Shiki's sight and hearing, but he was warned about it and he had seen it destroy a car before in this very same location.

The easiest way to react to the Kidou would be to dodge to either side, but when the shards of reiatsu shot out for eight yards, he'd still be struck. However, getting behind a pillar would also save him quite easily. Not wanting to be caught up in the blast of his own attack, the Kuchiki also ducked behind a pillar while forcing his energy sensory outwards. They were in quite close quarters, so Kyomei focused on keeping track of Shiki rather than anything else while he worked on recovering from the Kidou attacks he used. This small amount of pain would subside eventually, and the Kidou Corps Commander had the mental peace to be patient enough to let it go.

Remaining Reiatsu: 17775/18000 (-150 Mabarashi Dangan (the Shunpo was paid for last post))