Iron Champion: Kyomei Kuchiki vs Shade Kawada

[Zou ۞]

Participants: Kyomei Kuchiki, Shade Kawada
World: Human World
Thread Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: PG13
Location:

Children's birthday party

Special Conditions:

No items.

Circumstances:

Both participants will find themselves materialized within an enormous playground setting. There are many games, including whack-a-mole, a bouncy house, and bobbing for apples. Children are mostly regular, however Tiny Tim (little cripple boy on crutches) and asthma girl (little girl with severe asthma) are both present.

Killing either results in an atomic explosion from the body. All of the children are explosive, and there are infinite children. They just keep coming. Kill a child, they explode. All explosions have 10,000 reiatsu strength.

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

The portal took the Kidou Corps Commander away from the volcano into a playground for children. How odd... From lava pit to ball pit... To mulch from stone... At least this arena isn't trying to kill me... Surrounding the area were tons of children, playing on all the equipment and just having fun. The presence of Kyomei seemed irrelevant to their playing, and this unnerved the Shinigami. They'll just get in the way... what if I have to fight an Arrancar and he tries to eat all these kids? I wouldn't be able to save them all... At this moment, Kyomei was wishing that he had studied Enma's sleeper aura, hopefully even learned it from the elusive Captain himself. That would have kept these kids safe.

Alas, he wasn't that powerful, and he could not even imagine harming those children with his spiritual pressure. So he gingerly made his way through the throngs of children before giving up and taking to the air. He'd find his opponent that way, and because of that they would avoid harming the children too much. While up a good thirty feet from the playground, Kyomei had to groan. He felt a familiar reiatsu, and it wasn't an enemy. The Kidou Corps Commander had met the Kawada Captain before, but the fact that he was once again put in a match with a Shinigami didn't help his mood. "This time won't be like Rave... Shade Kawada cares not for money, and will want to force his way to the King's Key himself, I believe. And if he's strong enough, he should be the one to go forward. But if it is myself who is strongest, then I guess it is my job to carry the burden for the Soul Society."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats/Abilities}


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

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

[Shade Kawada]

The captain was transported to the location of his next fight. The result of his last fight had been inconclusive, however the fact that he advanced was testament to his ability. Shade possessed only his zanpakutou as he stepped onto the playground that was soon to be his arena. Children ran about and played. For a moment, Shade wondered why he’d been put in such an unconventional arena, however he noticed rather quickly that he could utilize air ground, so the children would likely not be an issue. The Kawada looked across at his opponent and noticed that it was not an arrancar like his last had been. This was problematic. How was he supposed to react to a development such as this?

Shade looked at Kyomei with cold, calculating eyes. Distrust was conveyed in the glance he shot the Kidou Corps Captain. Would his “ally” attack him? Ideally he could stall the Kuchiki’s attack until his seal had built up some power, but he would not count on that. The Kawada levitated to meet the same height as Kyomei about 50 yards away from him, his eyes not leaving his opponent’s the entire time. “Kyomei Kuchiki, Kidou Commander...” muttered the Kawada with a voice so despondent and cold that it would send shivers down the spines of the faint of heart, “Do you plan on becoming an obstacle for me? Or will you stand down?”

SPOILER: Click to show

Shade unsheathed his blade slowly as the sunlight glistened off the clean blade. Upon finishing the motion, Shade pointed his sword at Kyomei, bisecting the other captain’s view of Shade’s face with his sword. “I’ll ask you once more... Please, step aside so that blood won’t be spilled by either party. I must acquire the King’s Key...” he said with little feeling. Kyomei would know that the Kawada and the Kuchiki were on friendly terms, so unfortunately this had become a bit of a political battleground as well, and as far as status went, Shade was technically above Kyomei.

If Kyomei wanted to avoid fighting, he could attempt to talk things out with the captain. Shade showed no sign of attacking yet, and Kyomei could feel free to speak to Shade without him jumping the gun and going on the offense. It was indeed in the Kuchiki’s character to avoid conflict if possible, but it didn’t seem like there was a way to make Shade back down. Perhaps they would both find another way to determine who advanced that didn’t involve fighting. However the defiance is Shade’s eyes seemed to say otherwise. However there would be no harm in trying, of that Kyomei could be sure.

Meiunatsuin: 1/13
Combat Posts: 0/6
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,600

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [300 (x2)] = 600 Points

Speed - [200 (x2)] = 400 Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400 (/2)] = 200 Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400 (-30%)] = 280 Points

Light Aura - [0] Points

Dark Aura - [100] Points

Instinct - [125] Points

Senses [125] Points

Energy sensory - [50 (x3)] = 150 Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1,600] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

• [Memory] {3}
  
  
• [Learning] {3}
  
  
• [Imitation] {3}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Lack of Fear] {1}
  
  
• [Weapons: Sword] {4}

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

As soon as Shade finished talking, Kyomei knew that the situation was probably going to resort to violence. He was charismatic, and he could lead well, but he had no right to give orders to Shade. And because they were equals in rank, one of them would have to give or they would have to test the other. "The strongest of the two should proceed forwards. That guarantees the King's Key is the safest. I know not the rest of the participants in this endeavor, only that my last opponent was a Captain. We left without bloodshed. Did you face a Shinigami, or an enemy of the Soul Society in your last match?" Though he had no Zanpakutou to draw dramatically like Shade did, it didn't matter much. The Kuchiki wasn't trying to be threatening, he wasn't trying to be aggressive. He was merely stating facts.

If the Soul Society was to succeed in maintaining the safety of their King, and allowing the Zero Division to focus on threats beyond an invasion of their home turf, then the King's Key needed to be kept safe. Both Kyomei and Shade knew that, apparently. And both of them wanted to advance further. "I remember when you were born. I was still a fifth seat in the sixth squad underneath Sozen. In just fourty or so years, you have gone from infant to Captain. It has taken me hundreds of years of growth to feel worthy to take up the mantle of the late Hinsshi. You can't understand what it is like to be nothing, and finally after years of work become something. Securing the King's Key means more to me than pride, it means that Hinsshi's memory is not lost, and that my strength is enough to keep it alive, whether he be wandering or dead. So. Are we to test each other's mettle, or are you to step down?" Kyomei's excessive charisma might help in this scenario, might allow him to speak directly to Shade's heart instead of through the many layers of disgust, pain, and ambivalence. Then again, it might not. It wasn't a dangerous gamble to just talk to his fellow Captain, and it would ease the Kuchiki's conscience all the more if things came to blows, since he did try to make it peaceful.

Against an enemy of the Soul Society, Kyomei would have been preparing attacks, working on figuring out his opponent's strengths and weaknesses in order to exploit them, but Shade was an ally. And the exchange with Rave, and now with Shade, gave the Kuchiki hope that enough Shinigami jumped at the chance to protect the Spirit King that they were overpowering and outnumbering any other person who tried to force their way to the top of the tournament. Though the Kuchiki had heard rumors that his cousin Iro had spared with Shade and had been overcome, the Kidou Corps Commander did not have extensive interactions with his elusive, obsessed kin. The man was so focused on the Land of the Living that he neglected his family and often his squad. He truly did fit the bill for the Primary Assault Squad.

Because Iro and Kyomei did not interact often, except in short intervals and at the random social event, the Kuchiki was not aware of everything that Shade was capable of. He knew of the existence of the Saiwan, and his Vice Commander was a practitioner of them, being an adopted Kawada himself. Beyond that, Kyomei really didn't understand what he was up against, or what was in store for him if Shade did decide that they needed to fight to determine who advanced, instead of step down. The Kuchiki was sure that bloodshed would not be what it came to, even if some of their family had sour feelings for the other nobles. "However. Let me make it clear to you. The King's Key is superior in importance than the petty squabbles between nobles. Regardless of outcome, if the King's Key is saved, then the Soul Society should rejoice, regardless if it was brought home by Kawada or Kuchiki."

[Shade Kawada]

“The strongest of the two should proceed forwards. That guarantees the King’s Key is the safest. I know not the rest of the participants in this endeavor, only that my last opponent was a Captain. We left without bloodshed. Did you face a Shinigami, or an enemy of the Soul Society in your last match?” asked Kyomei without a weapon to draw. “My last match was against one of the espada. My presence here should tell you everything you need to know about how she fared against me,” replied Shade, not taking his eyes off what could become an enemy any moment. Kyomei proceeded to reminisce about Shade’s birth and advancement while he relayed his feeling of inadequacy. “You can't understand what it is like to be nothing, and finally after years of work become something. Securing the King's Key means more to me than pride, it means that Hinsshi's memory is not lost, and that my strength is enough to keep it alive, whether he be wandering or dead. So. Are we to test each other's mettle, or are you to step down?” finished Kyomei very charismatically. However, Kyomei’s charisma would not pierce the other captain’s cold, callous heart.

“I don’t understand what it is to be nothing?” mused Shade for a moment, being entertained at that thought, “I, who was born as the heir to a dying family with not even a captain in Seireitei to their name; I who was to inherit the blame for ending the success of all my ancestors, do not know what it is to be nothing?” Shade pondered for a second before continuing. “Yes, perhaps you are correct. However, do not let yourself be fooled. Being nothing was better than where I started. The Kawada family is only where it is today because of my hard work! I was not born into the life of luxury that you seem to believe,” he stated, raising his voice at the Kuchiki. There was perhaps a slight tinge of anger and frustration in his voice, but not such that it could be considered overwhelming emotions.

“However. Let me make it clear to you. The King's Key is superior in importance than the petty squabbles between nobles. Regardless of outcome, if the King's Key is saved, then the Soul Society should rejoice, regardless if it was brought home by Kawada or Kuchiki,” he said, attempting to avoid bloodshed. Shade took note of Kyomei’s hesitance to fight or harm who he deemed not his enemies. Perhaps he would be able to utilize this personality flaw later if things got hairy. Shade, however, wished to stall their fight longer and doubted Kyomei would be one to attack first unless he saw no alternative. “I realize this, however there will be praise and recognition for whoever does bring it back. You know as well as I do that people will think highly of the person that does emerge victorious as well as the group they are a part of. As I’ve mentioned previously, I built the Kawada family into what it is today. I did this by taking advantages of opportunities such as this, and I hope to use this to raise my family’s standing even further. I am still mending the wounds caused to my family by the Segunda Espada before my birth. The Kuchiki family has nothing to mend. Additional recognition and status is wasted on a family who is not recovering from a disaster like the one my family is. If you truly consider yourself my ally, you will step down...” came the captain’s voice, trying once more to convince Kyomei of his viewpoint.

If Kyomei attacked him, Shade expected him to open with bakudo, in which case he’d be ready. Shade was not confident in his knowledge of Kuchiki techniques either, so he’d deal with those as they came. Ultimately Shade was ready to react as soon as Kyomei did anything. He expected bakudo, but he’d deal with just about anything on the fly. Shade was pretty sure things would devolve into combat fairly soon. It was just a question of when the peaceful Kyomei had had enough and was willing to take the first shot. Until then, Shade would not attack for fear of jumping the gun and not allowing his Meiunatsuin seal, which was currently unknown to Kyomei, to get the most out of its charge time. It was a little over one eighth charged, so more time would be necessary before Shade could fight at 100%


Meiunatsuin: 2/13
Combat Posts: 0/6
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,600

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

"Well fine then... I guess that for today, we are not allies. I cannot step down, and will not." It was a bad place for the two nobles to be in, but their words had not been enough. The force of charisma alone could not turn the Kawada, and the rising threat of violence could not turn away the Kuchiki. They were going to do battle, and prove which individual was more worthy to rise in the tournament. Sure, family politics would get involved in places, but Kyomei was more afraid of the backlash that he'd receive from his adopted family and from his cousins if he merely stepped down than he was afraid of Shade. What would Sozen think, if the man he welcomed into the fold of nobility simply gave up when the King's Key was at stake?

No, if Shade was going to say that not stepping down was making enemies out of the two of them, then they were going to have to be enemies at this moment in time. That is what the creators of the tournament wanted, and that was what they were going to get. And as it turned out, the Kawada's instincts were correct. Rather than attempting to just blast the Shinigami out of the sky, the Kidou Corps commander opted to start with a small bit of Bakudo. Rikujokoro was powerful in that it could easily pin an opponent and cancel all of their movement. It was a go to for long range fighting when a Shingami wanted to stop their opponent from getting away. The eight beams of light would start to fly at Shade, slowly pinning him in. But as they were in the air, that wasn't enough.

Eight more beams of light would descend on Shade, coming from below him and above him as the plane of the Kidou was rotated before casting. From all directions he'd be assaulted by the Rikujokoro. However, the second one that Kyomei cast was not pure Rikujokoro. It had been fused with Gachan, a Bakudo that allowed the user to seal off all reiatsu use in a victim as long as they held their hands together in concentration. If Shade didn't have some way of stopping the Rikujokoro, he'd have his body completely paralyzed, and would be unable to use reiatsu as well. The Kawada would be helpless in front of the Kuchiki, most likely, if he didn't have some way of protecting himself on all sides. The attack was fast too, and even an attempted dodge could lead to at least one hitting him and holding him down. Meanwhile, Kyomei stood ready for a counter attack, hands held together.

Remaining Reiatsu: 17300/18000 (-300 2x Rikujokoro, -400 Gachan)

[Shade Kawada]

“Well fine then... I guess that for today, we are not allies. I cannot step down, and will not,” came the Kidou Commander’s blunt reply. Shade readied himself. Surely the Kyomei would take the offensive, meaning that the captain was ready at the drop of a hat to react. Kyomei couldn’t have made it any more obvious he was beginning the fight, however that very well might have been his intention in the interest of fair play. Shade was familiar with wordless kidou, and was well-accustomed with dealing with attacks from all sides, however bakudo done by the Kidou Corps Commander was nothing to sneeze at. Each of the beams of light closed in from all sides in the blink of an eye, but all it took was a single word on Shade’s end to make all of them a non-issue.

“Bankai...” muttered the captain, releasing his zanpakutou the highest level a shinigami was capable of reaching with their zanpakutou. Instantly Shade would be surrounded by a layer of bloody, fleshy sludge that seemed to pulsate and ooze as it levitated around the captain, intercepting each of the pillars of light Kyomei had created. As the kidou sunk into Buraindo Kira’s flesh, the mouths on Buraindo Kira Kentanka’s exterior would inhale simultaneously to suck the reiatsu out of the kidou around them. It wouldn’t be enough to dissipate the bakudo, but that mattered not. Shade merely wanted to acquire some of the reiatsu from the kidou for the moments to come. The difference in reiatsu strength mattered not with Shade’s bankai. Assuming a technique would not outright destroy the zanpakutou, like a bakudo, Buraindo Kira Kentanka would be able to devour anything that came into contact with it. He’d be hard-pressed to survive the moments to come without the full power of his reiatsu strength, however he was confident he’d be able to manage.

Shade lowered himself and his bankai in the air, levitating only a few yards over the children’s heads and far below Kyomei now. “This is your first time seeing my bankai, isn’t it, Kyomei Kuchiki?” he spoke with authority, “Despite its detestable appearance, it has served me well in these recent years.” Shade surrounded himself with the blob of fleshy gore so that only a single slit remained open so that he could keep an eye on the Kuchiki. Shade’s repositioning meant a lot for Kyomei. The Kawada pegged Kyomei as the type to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, so positioning himself between Kyomei and the abundant children was more of a tactical move to keep the captain from nuking him to kingdom come. Shade was not above using these living sacks of flesh as shields to further his own ambition. They were worthless in Shade’s eyes, merely pigs in human clothing.

Shade predicted another bakudo attempt, for he didn’t expect Kyomei to fire a harmful kidou downwards at the children who played without a care in case Shade dodged. It was either that or Kyomei would attempt to reposition before taking the offense. Shade sensed the depths of Kyomei’s reiatsu and would instantly realize something disheartening. An attack like the one Kyomei had just used had only used up a minuscule fraction of his reiatsu, however a combination of techniques like that would have left Shade with nearly half of his reiatsu gone. It seemed that Kyomei Kuchiki was not Kidou Commander in name only. Why did he always get matched up against foes who had an especially high focus on reiatsu ability?

Meiunatsuin: 3/13
Combat Posts: 1/6
Bankai: 1/10
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,309 (-400 for Bankai, +109 from Consume)

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

"Bankai..." The Captain's release to Bankai only elicited a raised eyebrow from the Kidou Corps Commander. The Kuchiki was quite surprised at the way in which Shade responded to the Bakudo closing in on him. Kyomei had trained with Sozen, Iro, and Hokori, and he had rarely seen their Bankai. He knew that it was often an act of desperation, or merely of training, but almost never was a crutch. He had not seen Sozen's Bankai, and had only seen Iro's and Hokori's a couple times each, one of which when they fought each other. Even then, they had released to Shikai for a fair bit before resorting to Bankai. This just seemed odd to Kyomei, that Shade would skip Shikai and go directly to his biggest level of power. "Yes, Shade. I have not seen your Bankai. And I've heard rumors that you used it in a spar with my cousin Iro, though we don't talk much. It's very... fleshy, for a Zanpakutou. Reminds me of some other things..."

---

OOC: This is a flashback to the Vandenreich Invasion, a snippet of a memory that will be developed later in a cinematic

The sky had turned black even though it was midday as the sun was blotted out by the hordes of flying Quincy. Armed with their Vollstandig, masses of them flew from the sky to pelt the Seireitei's done defense, cracking it within minutes and shattering it completely. It had been a slaughter that the Shinigami weren't ready for, and though they stood back to back, two cousins were about ready to fall. The Kidou Corps Commander wielded fire in his hand as he approached third degree burns from the Eternal Flare Kidou, and still he opponents edged closer. The Captain of Squad 11 was under attack by his asthma, severely hindering his ability to fight. And with his Bankai stolen by a Sternritter, he only had his Shikai to combat the tide of Quincy.

When the cannon fodder were defeated, and the two had a chance to rest and hide, they knew that they had to seek out the Quincy that had stolen Iro's Bankai, before it was used on the Seireitei. It was a level of power that was capable of leading sieges with great efficiency, hence why he was the Captain of the Primary Attack Division. So the two Kuchiki had set out to find and take down "The Devoted". In the course of the heated battle, in which Iro wielded his Shikai against his Bankai, and Kyomei supported with Kidou, the Kidou Corps Commander found himself in a position to strike at the Stern Ritter. And strike he did, ripping the Bankai artifact out of the man's chest with his bare hands. What resulted was a bizarre trip through a rabbit hole, leading to a field.

"Hello? Where am I..." There was a soft gurgling under the Kuchiki's feet, almost in the rhythm of words. It didn't take long before a cloud appeared on the horizon of the sunny sky, and it was all too soon that a sickly tar fell from the sky to pelt Kyomei. Out of the ground grew a monster from the goo, the reverberations that sounded like words coming from it. "It's not every day that someone who isn't Iro comes by... And by that, I mean that it has never happened... Who are you..." Standing up straight, the man addressed the creature. From its words, he knew what had happened. "I seem to be lost in my cousin's Inner World. You must be his Zanpakutou Spirit that he never talks about. I would like to leave now."

---

Yes... the goo of Muk, Iro's Zanpakutou Spirit, was quite similar to the muck of flesh, Shade's Bankai. Although the latter had a lot of organs and guts floating around in it. By the time the Kuchiki was done remembering the invasion of the Seireitei, the Kawada had positioned himself extremely close to the children, as if using them as protection. "As a Soul Reaper, you should understand the value of a life. They are delicate, and when abused, cause Hollows. I hope that you don't mean to endanger innocent lives just for your own gain." The Kuchiki wasn't going to let Shade just sit there without feeling threatened. No, he was going to force the Kawada to jump, to run, to feel like a mouse. When he had been worn down, maybe then he would surrender.

Out of Kyomei's hand fired a large yellow dragon of crackling lightning. Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho, more known for its number, 88, than its name, was a Kidou of extremely destructive capabilities. It had the tendency to simply erase giant swaths of land, reducing them to ash and then destroying that ash and leaving emptiness. If struck by this, Shade would be utterly destroyed. Though obviously, he could dodge, but that would also be a problem in and of itself. The Kuchiki were known for their versatile Hana, the practitioner choosing which one called to them most. And Kyomei was a user of the Magic Hana, which focused on improving his already powerful Kidou. The second Magic Hana, Kei, allowed its user to direct the kidou's flight pattern. If Shade dodged, the dragon would simply follow him as the Kuchiki directed it with a mere finger, as a conductor would do. The children would be completely safe from his attack.

Remaining Reiatsu: 16400/18000 (-600 Hado 88, -300 Kei)

[Shade Kawada]

Shade paused and listened as Kyomei spouted nonsense about the value of life. “As a Soul Reaper, you should understand the value of a life. They are delicate, and when abused, cause Hollows. I hope that you don’t mean to endanger innocent lives just for your own gain,” said the Kidou Commander from his spot high above Shade. Their positions on the battlefield might as well have been symbolic of Kyomei’s high and mighty message that he sent down at Shade to hear. The captain’s reaction was undoubtedly not what Kyomei would have preferred. Shade stood for a moment, pondering the other shinigami’s words, looking up at him with merciless, cold eyes.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” he said in a smug, calculated tone, “I have no intention of using any technique that puts these lives around me in danger. However, do not be fooled. I would cut down every single one of the children before me if it meant success. Victory at all costs. If you are not willing to dirty your hands with blood and innocent lives for favorable results, then what good are you?” It was at this moment that Shade caused his bankai to leave him, abandoning its defensive position surrounding him. It was still relatively small and Shade knew its many weaknesses. Buraindo Kira was capable of being vaporized by extremely powerful reiatsu based attacks, because of this, Shade sent his bankai downwards and into the ground itself.

The blob of flesh, blood, and guts did not harm any of the nearby children, instead burrowing into the ground. It devoured all the dirt and rocks that it came in contact with, pulling them into its body. Buraindo Kira’s ability to simply absorb everything it touched made it very effective at burrowing, and burrow it did into the safety of the ground below. Shade needed it to be safe for a few moments longer or else the fight was lost. As the bankai expanded, it would spread out horizontally and downwards, not piercing the surface so as not to reveal its location, creating a labyrinth of tunnels and caverns underground as it did. The bankai would not remain in one place either, it moved through the ground like a gigantic, disgusting earthworm, packing the dirt around it so that the tunnels would not collapse.

As Shade’s bankai abandoned his defense, Kyomei would be left firing his hado down in the other captain’s direction. Shade would not remain still and allow himself to be killed though, as soon as Shade identified the threat, used shunpo to transport himself near a jungle gym, surrounded by children. It was at this moment that Shade watched the kidou turn in mid-air correcting its trajectory and once again aiming itself at him. Glancing quickly up at Kyomei, he saw the gestures the Kuchiki made with his finger. Putting two and two together was simple. With the Hado still bearing down on him, Shade grabbed a nearby child who had just finished bobbing for apples.

“What’s more important? Beating me, or useless lives? Time to decide...” Shade hurled the innocent child high up into the air right in Kyomei’s direction at a high enough velocity that he’d need both hands to safely catch him. There was no doubt that a fall from the height Shade threw the child would probably kill him, but that was Kyomei’s problem now. However, catching the child would serve to mess up the captain’s directing of the kidou. Shade was still in the line of fire though, so immediately after throwing the kid, Shade darted to the side, weaving through children with no regard for their safety. After all, he wasn’t the one making such a high level kidou chase someone through throngs of little kids.

Meiunatsuin: 4/13
Combat Posts: 2/6
Bankai: 2/10
Bankai Size: 40 ft cubed
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,259

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Blast... He knows me too well... But I won't harm innocents. I saw too much of that in the Ogatago base. I refuse to let them fall by my hand. Kyomei willed the Hado 88 to cease and sent another Bakudo out of his hand to catch the child that Shade threw. Horin was an orange rope that would easily wrap around him and then lower him to the ground where he'd be safer. Shade had sent his Bankai into the ground, which caused a problem for the Kidou Corps Commander. With a fairly untrained Energy Sensory for being a so called master of Kidou and Energy, it wasn't powerful enough to be able to track Buraindo Kira. And if the Kuchiki lowered himself to the ground in order to get in range, he would both not be able to track Shade, and would be open to easy counterattack from the underground Bankai.

Well, another Bakudo couldn't hurt. It wouldn't put the children in danger, and would be able to lock down Shade so he could be dealt with swiftly. The Commander pressed his hands together, index fingers held upwards and pressed together while his middle finger curved behind them. Two large strips of fabric would come out of the air behind Shade and wrap around him, dragging him face first to the ground while large blocks supported the tails, stabbing into the mulch. For the first time in this battle, Kyomei had used a special technique known only to two Shinigami in the Seireitei. Soshi Senjigusuri. With this art, Kyomei was able to add elemental effects to his Kidou, vastly improving their reiatsu strength.

Bakudo #99: Kin was capable of completely immobilizing Shade, and the Fire Reiatsu that was added in would continuously provide a burning sensation to his body. At over eight times his Reiatsu strength, he would be unable to break out of the Bakudo. Buraindo Kira wouldn't be able to help him either, as it was both out of the way and far too weak. It may have been able to try to consume the attack, but being supported by fire would merely disintegrate it if it tried. A constant burn, coupled by complete immobility, would be difficult to deal with if he was caught. However, there was still the fact that the Kawada could dodge. He was weaving through kids, and had decent Energy Sensory and Instincts, so a Shunpo would be ill-advised but possible. He'd have to shove kids out of the way, probably, to have enough room to move, but it wasn't impossible.

If Shade did Shunpo but stayed on the ground, he had a bunch of kids to force his way through, not to mention playground equipment and such. In this case, the Kin would miss Shade, but change direction and follow through the path that the Captain pushed through the crowd of kids, again using the Hana Kei. If Shade opted for a more upwards slanted Shunpo, he'd cut himself off from Buraindo Kira and expose himself to the air again, removing his protection of the children. In that case, the double Rikujokoro would close in on him like before. Without his Zanpakutou to release to Bankai, he'd probably be unable to defend against it the second time. If Shade did any other defense or dodge that nullified the effectiveness of the Kin, Kyomei wouldn't have an immediate response for it. "Are you the Captain of the Travel Squad because you run from so much, Kawada?"

Remaining Reiatsu: 14875/18000 (-25 Horin, -900 Kin, -300 Kei, -300 2x Rikujokoro)

[Shade Kawada]

Shade’s plan worked as Kyomei abandoned his pursuit of Shade with Hado 88 in favor saving the child instead. This reaffirmed Shade’s belief that Kyomei would not hurt the lives present before them. If this was indeed true, then the captain would be more than capable of further using this to his advantage. “This is the type of weakness that you were trying to keep me from, wasn’t it, Buraindo Kira?” thought Shade smugly, “Though it seems that you were protecting me from nothing. Valuing the lives of expendables is preposterous...” Shade mused, recalling his days without the capability to feel emotions due to his zanpakutou spirit’s authority over his mind. He remembered Buraindo Kira’s words right before Shade locked him away in the innermost sanctums of his inner world. “I need you to be the heartless, cold killer that you are...” Buraindo Kira had said. The captain hoped that Buraindo Kira was satisfied with the man he’d become after attaining bankai.

Suddenly, thick spiritual bindings would appear to Shade’s left and right in an attempt to ensnare him. The captain was queued into the use of such a high level kidou by his above-average energy sensory which was able to help him determine just when Kyomei channeled his reiatsu into kidou. Shade realized nearly instantly that if he was indeed caught by this particular bakudo, it would likely spell the end of the fight right then and there. So without wasting time to think of some overly complicated evasive action, Shade did what came naturally and instantly to him. A shunpo took him back in the direction he’d started this fight from and away from the immediate danger that Bakudo #99: Kin and the Rikujokoro presented. However, like the kidou before it, the bindings seemed to change direction immediately, following him and closing in quickly. A quick glance up towards Kyomei confirmed that like before he was controlling them with a mere finger motion.

The way Shade saw it, there were only three ways which one could ensure permanent evasion of a kidou cast by the Kidou Commander while he used his Kei technique. The first option was the most straightforward and perhaps the most impossible for Shade. One only needed to completely eradicate the kidou in question from being a threat. Whether that was to block it, diminish its strength to harmless levels, or destroy the entire thing didn’t matter as they were all outside Shade’s capability. The second option had just been proven by Shade to be quite effective. If one could physically stop Kyomei from directing the kidou with his finger, then one did not need to concern themselves with the imminent threat of his kidou being redirected in their direction. The third option would be tested right now as Shade did not wish to attempt the same evasion twice in a row at risk of being predictable.

It was just before the bindings arrived at his position that the ground underneath the captain would collapse. It seemed that the captain had directed his bankai to make that spot in particular very unstable so that Shade would be able to break through. It wasn’t far-fetched to assume that there were other pitfalls like the one Shade had just used riddled across the ground. Shade plummeted into the tunnels and caverns below, immediately suppressing his reiatsu as he did. If Shade could not go up or anywhere on the ground, that only left one option, right? Luckily he’d been directing his bankai to dig out a maze of caverns which only he knew the layout to. While Shade had been busy staying alive and studying Kyomei’s techniques on the surface he’d also been controlling his bankai to make a labyrinth below ground, simultaneously memorizing every twist and turn of the tunnel network. Here came the difficulty for Kyomei, while it would be within his capabilities to send the bakudo after Shade, which way was Kyomei supposed to direct it? This was the third option Shade had deduced. If he could not destroy the kidou or stop Kyomei from directing it, his only option was to cause Kyomei to direct it the wrong way or relent the pursuit.

While underneath the ground, Shade picked a random direction to run and sprinted, directing Buraindo Kira Kentanka to burrow its way towards him. Kyomei would not sense him nor hear him over all the children playing. At the same time, Shade would have no idea what Kyomei was up to as long as he remained below ground. Shade could only be sure that the other captain wouldn’t nuke the entire area as it would cost the lives of countless innocents, something Shade had already confirmed Kyomei wouldn’t do. Following Shade down into the pitch-black tunnels was disadvantageous for Kyomei as well. That left Kyomei with limited options as Shade stopped after confirming that he’d lost the bindings that had been following him. He would attempt to catch his breath now, hoping he could stall the fight for only a few moments longer. He was over 1/3 of the way done charging his Meiunatsuin seal and his bankai was steadily growing in size. Shade was one of the only captains in Seireitei who got exponentially stronger the longer a fight dragged out. Kyomei would soon learn to realize that.

Meiunatsuin: 5/13
Combat Posts: 3/6
Bankai: 3/10
Bankai Size: 80 ft cubed
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,209 (-50 for Shunpo)

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Shade did execute a Shunpo, which caused the Kidou Corps Commander to drag the Kin backwards to try and catch him. The ground opened up, and the Captain fell into the tunnels he had been producing for mere seconds. The Rikujokoro was wasted as the Kawada disappeared into the ground, but the Kin was not. Dragging it back to himself, Kyomei caused it to wrap around his right arm for a moment, drawing out the Aura of Fire and burning himself in the process before dispelling the Kidou. His entire body was wrapped in three yards of flames, though he could selectively turn the Aura on and off in different places at will. Not wanting Shade to get away, the Kuchiki stepped off the air ground with his own Shunpo into the other Shinigami's caverns. One mistake, Shade. There are no innocents here.

With his Aura of Flames stretching the whole three yards in every direction, keeping him safe from assault in all directions, Kyomei pointed at the ground with both hands. Hovering just off the ground with air ground, he would be out of the way from what bubbled up to the surface of the tunnel. The liquid that appeared seemed to be like lava, but was more pure than that. Rather than just being molten rock, this substance that was coming to Kyomei's command was liquid fire. Gouzen Demizu was a Mid-tier Kidou that summoned up a great tidal wave of water. It was donating its form to the Kidou fusion. Satsu, the tenth and final Kuchiki Hana of Magic usually took the form of a giant clock tower of fire, which incinerated everything of weaker reiatsu strength than it. It was donating its fire/incineration effect to the fusion.

Kyomei performed this twice, since Shade was concealing his reiatsu and could have traveled in either direction along this tunnel. The pool that he had created by pointing at the ground quickly rose up and became a tidal wave of flame, all pouring downwards into the tunnels. Dirt was destroyed as it washed away, and with two of the Kidou being cast, there was a massive amount of liquid destruction pouring downwards into Shade's tunnel network. "A drop of water ripples across the ocean surface, a leviathan rises from his slumber. Go forth, depths of the sea, rise from your slumber to drown the land in your magnificent expanse; turn earth to sea, air to liquid, bring forth your deep embrace!" Opting for the Kōjutsu Eishō method of incantation, that is, saying it afterwards, if the two tidal waves of purifying flame weren't enough, as soon as Kyomei finished the incantation, they would double in size, destroying even more in their path.

Buraindo Kira wasn't really fast enough to avoid two tidal waves of flame coming from directly above it and from any direction it had made a tunnel, and neither was Shade. If he chose to save himself rather than Buraindo Kira, he'd have his Bankai destroyed and be left greatly weakened. If he chose to save his Bankai rather than himself well... that wouldn't work out for him too well. A simple Shunpo wouldn't really be enough this time to avoid the death falling onto him. Not only was it a massive amount of destruction boring its way through the ground towards him, the labyrinthine setup of the tunnels ensured that Shade wasn't able to just Shunpo in a straight line long enough to escape the Kidou being cast at him.

Now there was the problem of the children playing above. In order to keep the massive cavern that he was creating from collapsing, Kyomei fused Tetsu Supaiku and Amimono Shimokumo. He made his Aura of flames appear to be a sword, and stabbed it into the ground above him. That caused all of the surface and surviving walls of the cavern to slowly become metal. Amimono Shimokumo usually flash froze Water into Ice, but due to the effect of Tetsu Supaiku's Element of Iron, all of the stone would be flash solidified into Metal. The walls of the cavern, as well as the ceiling, being the ground to the playground, would just convert to metal in an instant. This might have the added effect of preventing Shade from burrowing as easily, but its main use was in supporting the children from falling.

Remaining Reiatsu: 13125/18000 (-200 2x Gouzen Demizu, -1200 2x Satsu, -100 Amimono Shimokumo, -150 Tetsu Supaiku)

[Shade Kawada]

Shade’s bankai moved at a minimum speed of around the sprinting speed of a cheetah, despite being underground for moments, the ever-growing bankai was able to make a vast system of twists, turns, and dips. The average size of the tunnels were 5 meters wide and given that he had been digging them for about 15 seconds, the main tunnel was around 600 feet long with over 18 smaller other tunnels which connected or became dead ends. Accomplishing so much in such a short amount of time was only made possible because Buraindo Kira Kentanka moved at a minimum of around 136 feet per second. With an ever-growing body, it also allowed the bankai to burrow faster and create branching tunnels with its excess flesh. Kyomei would likely be impressed by how much had been accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Shade had not expected the Kidou Commander to actually follow him into his caverns and could tell that something was amiss as soon as he felt such a large amount of kidou be exerted by the other captain. Fortunately for Shade, the twists and turns of the cavern prevented Kyomei’s flood from traveling as fast as it was capable of, however, the fact remained that Kyomei was trying to flood Shade out with liquid fire. Seems Kyomei was not above killing him. That was good to know. Either way, the captain could feel himself tiring, but he’d be unable to rest now given the circumstances. With his bankai in front of him burrowing, Shade saw the water which had completely lost its form of a wall of water after hitting the first turn in the cave. Immediately he knew what Kyomei had done. He would need to start making his bankai burrow in a straight line and hope to God that he could outrun the flood. Luckily he had a few tricks up his sleeve to slow the kidou’s approach. Shade had been fortunate that the attack took the form of liquid.

Burrowing downwards would have been suicide, so Shade’s only choice was to burrow upwards. So that’s what the bankai began to do. At double its normal speed due to Shade not attacking Kyomei himself, the bankai shot through the ground at over 200 feet per second, leaving Shade in its dust as it widened the tunnel to a massive 10 meters as well as creating gaping holes in the floor as it went. This would slow the liquid’s approach as each hole would swallow some of the liquid and the wider tunnel would require more liquid to fill. The captain had to use shunpo to avoid being incinerated and to catch up to his bankai which was tunneling at around a 30 degree upwards slope from the horizontal. Shade and his bankai had almost made it to the surface when Shade noticed the liquid’s approach had ceased. It seemed that he’d reached a point where he was above the place where Kyomei had used his kidou meaning that the entire rest of the caverns would have to be filled before the liquid rose any further.

Changing the walls and ceiling of the caverns didn’t really prevent Buraindo Kira Kentanka from devouring the metal. Essentially any physical object was subject to being devoured by the bankai. Amimono Shimokumo only crept at an average pace and only water could be flash-frozen by the technique, however it would serve its purpose of supporting the ground overhead and prevent collapse. It just wouldn’t reach Shade and Buraindo Kira until after the captain had already dealt with evading the captain’s first attack. It was at this point, with the two kidou near his bankai and Kyomei likely unable to confirm his status, Shade would recover some reiatsu. Like before, the mouths which riddled Shade’s bankai opened and began inhaling reiatsu from both the liquid fire as well as the creeping metal walls. It wasn’t much due to the huge difference between Shade’s reiatsu strength and Kyomei’s, but it was something.

Shade could do nothing but keep commanding his bankai to tunnel through the ground, creating caverns once again, this time with incredibly deep shafts with huge rooms at the bottom which would prevent Kyomei from trying to flood him out again. Shade would once again try to rest. If he couldn’t get a breather soon, then he’d be in trouble. He kept his reiatsu suppressed in hopes that Kyomei would not be able to locate him as his bankai left him behind, tunneling ahead and extending the tunnels as the liquid began to recede. Shade would keep his senses peeled though in case another similar attack headed his direction. If need be, he was close enough to the surface he could simply smash out himself despite the metal ceiling. Shade’s strength was doubled in bankai, meaning that he was truly a monster to deal with, dwarfing practically all the other captains besides the esteemed Okusa Shogen in terms of brute strength.

Meiunatsuin: 6/13
Combat Posts: 4/6
Bankai: 4/10
Bankai Size: 160 ft cubed
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,307 (-50 for shunpo, +148 from the 950 reiatsu spent by Kyomei)

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Shade sent his Bankai upwards at a fast pace while he stood still, which would become problematic for him. As the tunnels fell away into more of a growing cavern than anything else, the liquid destruction would get closer to him. He used his flash step to escape from it, however he then sent his Bankai back straight into the fiery abyss. With its sheer size, it would be nearly impossible to avoid the entirety of the two tidal waves of flame that would double in size about the time that Shade directed Buraindo Kira Kentaka to double back into the tunnel system. Some of the Bankai had to be caught up in the maelstrom of flames, though it didn't matter terribly much in the long run. What mattered was that Shade, for all his intents and purposes, was a beacon of energy while in his Bankai state, and no attempt to suppress his reiatsu would escape Kyomei.

The Kidou Corps Commander, by nature of having the tunnels turned into a big cavern instead of the complex twists and turns, had easy access to Shade. He only needed to move in one direction until he hit the tunnel that extended upwards to where the Captain was, and then follow that tunnel. A single shunpo led him to the mouth of the tunnel, and a second shunpo carried him into it. Shade was attempting to rest, and if he didn't react in time, the Kuchiki would get to him at mach speeds. With the three yards of fire coming off of his body in all directions, Shade would be subject to an immense amount of pain. Inside and out he'd feel as if he was on fire, as heat backed by 1800 Reiatsu Strength washed over him. The only way out was directly up, and that had the downside of being separated from his Bankai that was headed in the opposite direction.

In the event that Shade didn't move, and remained so close to the surface, Kyomei would hold back his aura slightly. He'd still fill the whole metal tunnel with the heat, but he wouldn't let it extend above the surface and possibly harm the children. They would be safe from the heat as it took far too long to heat up all of the metal in between the Shinigami and them. Standing two yards away from Shade, letting the aura fully bathe him in heat, Kyomei had plenty of time to react to anything the Kawada could retaliate with, and still had his defense trained behind him in case Buraindo Kira Kentaka came to help. The power of the Bankai would still be incapable of getting through the aura of heat surrounding the Kuchiki, making Shade truly cut off.

Remaining Reiatsu: 13025/18000 (-100 2x Shunpo)

[Shade Kawada]

Kyomei was ensuring that Shade’s carefully constructed caverns would not be a long-standing monument to their fight. It seemed that the wave Kyomei produced eradicated everything it came into contact with, which especially meant the ground itself. Because of this, the liquid would fall almost as if there was no floor beneath it ensuring that if Shade was able to make it far enough away from the kidou’s source, that the horizontal force would not be enough to propel the liquid fire to him before it sunk through the ground below his Y-coordinate. Shade took note of Kyomei as soon as the Kidou Commander reached the mouth of the larger tunnel he’d created and quickly readied himself. It also seemed like some sort of aura was emanating off of the Kidou Commander as the air around him seemed distorted. Shade wasn’t entirely sure what the purpose of it was, but he knew he didn’t wish to experience the mystery aura’s effects.

A second shunpo brought Kyomei flying down the tunnel and Shade would need to make a split-second decision. Shade did not need the main portion of his bankai and would not call it back to him and instead directed it to keep tunneling into the ground away from the site of Kyomei’s last kidou. The other soul reaper approached Shade, however, the captain was adequately prepared. Shade used a shunpo immediately after Kyomei used his so that essentially the two would switch places. Shade zoomed by Kyomei, evading being affected by the heated aura that surrounded Kyomei due to not even being in the area long enough for it to affect him. Shade took himself to the wide cavern’s edge. and would be greeted by the site of his meticulous maze of catacombs in ruin. Kyomei had just blasted his way through all of them while hardening the ceiling to prevent collapse. If there was one thing that Shade could thank Kyomei for, it was making the exit easy to find.

Shade used a second shunpo to bring himself to where Kyomei had dropped down into the caves in the first place and leapt out of it. Yes the caves had bought him some time, but he was growing weary of fighting and if he couldn’t find a place to rest soon, then he wouldn’t be able to fight as efficiently. Shade knew about how large his bankai was now and could feel it as it caused minor tremors in the ground as it moved through the ground. Shade grabbed a child nearby and held her under his left arm while he gripped his zanpakutou in his right. Standing near the pitfall into the ground, Shade expected Kyomei to follow him up, and when he did, Shade would use the girl as a shield and make his move. The captain was very fortunate that Kyomei was weak for the helpless and he had no qualms with taking advantage of that if it meant his victory. He would continue this evading game until his Meiunatsuin seal was fully charged at least. Until then he was fighting at a disadvantage.

Shade stood outside the one exit to the cave, trying to catch a breather as his zanpakutou came to a halt underground. Hopefully Kyomei would see the child under his arm and stay any large attacks. Shade didn’t like fighting this way, but he would cease these types of tactics once he could fight at full power. As Shade waited he raised his sword in the air, ready to slash downwards the instant Kyomei followed him up out of the hole. The sun was directly overhead now and shone down in the caverns like a vertical spotlight. “I dare you to follow me... Kidou Commander...” murmured Shade to himself, waiting patiently at the mouth of the pitfall like a fisherman waits for a bite.

Meiunatsuin: 7/13
Combat Posts: 5/6
Bankai: 5/10
Bankai Size: 320 ft cubed
Remaining Reiatsu: 1,207 (-100 for shunpo)