The Itsy Bitsy Spider [NDE, R]

[Douma]

There it was. The gap just in reiatsu strength was far too huge for Kagami to effectively use a Kido-led assault. Maybe it could be used as a distraction for the Arrancar to toy with as he had just done previously, but it had no chance of doing any true harm to Col. New rule: Kido was not going to work. Therefore, Kagami decided that he would have to modify his tactic to move away from Kido and more towards slightly exchanges with their swords. He wasn’t looking forward to it, considering that Col had one blade more than the Shinigami does, but he would be able to hold his own nonetheless. His only concern was the large possibility for the Arrancar to be proficient with Hierro. If their raw power difference is so wide, he wouldn’t be able to puncture the reiatsu armor with much ease.

Retreat was becoming a real possibility. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to take this guy on my own, at least not right now. He hasn’t even released yet and I haven’t landed a single blow. The Vice Captain would have to try a lot harder if he wanted to make any progress. Stop wasting time, Kagami, and get down to the fight, Mai commented a little too violently. She was definitely enjoying the rush of the fight and Kagami might as well too. But the fight was coming to him now, and he had to act now. His Kido was voided and the Arrancar was rushing in for a sword fight so here was his chance to finally land a crippling blow on his opponent, or any blow for that matter.

Kagami now summoned two mirrors, one directly in front of himself and another a good meter away from the first. Both had active image links between there opposite ends so that they appeared invisible and were utterly undetectable. In the mean time, Kagami held his blade at the ready with his right hand, showing no indication of the mirrors he prepared. With Col rushing at him, he would have normally run into the first mirror and/or cut through it with his sword. However, Kagami needed that one to remain completely hidden for the meantime and willed his opponent to pass through it like it was empty air. He would feel no change and couldn’t possibly notice that he had just passed through it. However, the second mirror would be a different story. This one would be between the two enemies while Col was executing his intial slash. Of course, when his blade meets the mirror with it’s resistance, slowing down the cut, the mirror would shatter and lose its transparency. Kagami would again, as he did earlier, sidestep the slash using the broken mirror to get out of harms way.

That was only step one, though. Col has two blades and it wasn’t hard to predict that he would be using the second one. While the sword hissed through the air towards the Vice Captain, Kagami raised his sword for a perfect parry. A well-timed flick of the wrist would send both swords bouncing slightly backwards. However, just before the swords would meet, while Col’s arm is still moving for the slash, Kagami would shatter the mirror that stands right behind Col, the mirror that had discreetly sat there as he passed through it. With the use of Shard Shatter, the glass would spread out into a cloud that ended just before Kagami, completely engulfing Col in it as thousands upon thousands of green blades emerged from the shards. And this would all happen so quickly that the thousands of swords’d impale him through ever part of his body, including the weak points of Hierro, just as their blades meet. Best of all, though, is that since the hidden attack would be happened directly behind Col, he wouldn’t detect it until after he is surrounded by the shards with blades sticking out of them. And his attention would be drawn towards Kagami’s parry.

Reiatsu Remaining: 5750/8000 (-25x2 for Mirrors, -50x2 for Image Link, -300 for Shard Shatter: Total -450)

[Kaen Youji]

His opponent blocked his slash. Col wasn't even remotely perturbed, a calm... almost serene look on his face as Kagami's blade crashed against his plasma blade, which crackled on impact. This did not, however, distract Col from the sound of a mirror shattering apart behind him. Even if Kagami could make his mirrors invisible, the sound of one shattering into pieces couldn't possibly be hidden, let alone from someone with Col's sense of hearing. The sound of static filled the air, as Col seemed to vanish right from Kagami's line of sight. The static sound, for anyone familiar with arrancar skills, was the sound of Sonido. Col had already seen Kagami use that move once before. The sound of a mirror shattering was practically an alarm, signifying the use of that technique. Col did not travel far though. A mere ten feet to Kagami's left, Col reappeared. His plasma blades were inactive. He had turned them off, and as Kagami watched, slid them into his jacket again, one at a time. Keeping one in his hand, to defend against any attack Kagami would attempt.

"I saw you use that move before. Surely you don't think you can defeat me with a move I've already seen once?" Col challenged him, as he put aside the second plasma blade. His right hand stayed concealed within his jacket however. No doubt a reminder of how Col had attacked with a hidden blade before would stall Kagami's own assault a moment. Also, perhaps a question of why the arrancar had put aside his weapon. Was he surrendering? Ending the battle? Of course not. A soft grating sound would be audible as Col freed his zanpakuto from its sheath. It was time to diversify his assault. "I am please to see you interested in a proper duel. But I see you're armed with only one blade. Well. I am a gentleman, and to combat you with two would simply be unsporting of me. Shall we?"

Of course, the reason Col had switched to his zanpakuto was for a very different reason. His dual plasma blades certainly gave him options in combat, but his original swordsmanship training had been in traditional European swordfighting techniques, and many of those techniques were impractical with a plasma blade. Col wielded now, a beautiful and ornate Espada Ropera-- a spanish sword, with a gleaming silver blade. If Kagami was observant, he would note that this sword was about half a foot longer than his plasma blades had been. And by extension, longer than Kagami's own zanpakuto. This was a longsword, and although Col currently held it in a two handed grip, he was quite content to use it in one hand if need be.

Col had taken a low guard, his sword pointed downwards at an angle. This stance was a strong defensive stance, protecting the leg, and also allowing for quick parries to defend attacks at the body or head. Offensively, however, it was weaker than other stances, as it only closed off lines of attack to the lower body, and forced telegraphed attacks. That said, unless Kagami was well versed in western swordsmanship, this stance would be relatively alien to him, at best, reminiscent of Kendo's Gedan no Kamae.

Col smirked, and then took to the offensive. Despite the low guard's problems with transitioning to the offensive, Col was a master swordsman and just before reaching Kagami, he instantly transitioned his stance into the on-guard position-- a fundamental and basic stance in western swordsmanship but which only had rudimentry equivalents in Japanese kenjutsu. Col's sword cut up, tip pointed into the sky. The closest equivalent in kendo, would be the Hasso no Kamae stance, but even that wasn't quite right, as Col held his sword at a lower position, completely cutting off all lines of attack to his right side. Col's transition of stance was for no other purpose than to throw Kagami off. He had deliberately swept in with a stance that a skilled swordsman like Kagami would be able to predict, an attack from. And while Kagami's mind processed the possible angles of attack Col could launch from that stance, Col transitioned into a different stance and attacked.

The instinctive attack from a stance like this would have been a horizontal or diagonal cut towards an opponent's left. Col knew this, and, anticipating a parrying action from Kagami, feinted an attack just like that, cutting horizontally across Kagami's left. Mere moments into the swing however, Col flicked his sword over, abandoning the swing, and using the momentum of his motion to transition fluidly and flawlessly into a diagonal cut slashing down across Kagami's right shoulder, and through his ribs! This attack would likely fall outside the parameters of blows Kagami would have expected from either his low guard, or his on-guard positions, and potentially catch his adversary off-guard.

Col did so dearly hope his opponent would entertain him a sword fight. Such a duel was a gentleman's art, and one of the few things that brought excitement and joy to the Zarpa. Kagami was about to witness quite a sight now-- the mastery of western style sword techniques that Col possessed, brought out to its fullest potential in his espada ropera. A sight that few could claim to have witnessed and fewer still to have survived. Col was a master of the unorthodox. And his western dueling style often caught his more Japanese or Chinese form-inclined foes off guard, while Col himself had become familiar with many techniques and stances from those schools of swordsmanship through experience against their practitioners.

Reiatsu remaining: 2950 (-100 for Sonido)

[Douma]

Again, the Escudo had managed to dodge another one of Kagami’s bullets. Of course the chamber of the gun was far from empty, for Kagami has a largely expendable supply of tricks up his sleeve that he’s just begun to toss at the Arrancar. However, Kagami can’t help but get frustrated when his attacks haven’t had much of an effect. Yet, at least. But progress in this battle was moving too slowly, something that was only okay in two cases: One, Kagami’s opponent is actually enjoyable to fight against, and two, he was engaged in a battle against a beautiful woman. Col was neither. In fact, the only thing that prevented him from meeting the first requirement was not due to his fighting style necessarily but the fact that Kagami can’t stand a thing he says.

And of course, Col opened his mouth once again, pissing the Shinigami off even more. "I saw you use that move before. Surely you don't think you can defeat me with a move I've already seen once?" So the Zarpa kept butting heads with Kagami through verbal assaults as well. Luckily, the Vice Captain is never one to lose his cool. “I was just making sure you weren’t as mentally impaired as you look. Now please tell me, which of the Espada are you? Your name isn’t exactly familiar, Col Arana.” He needed to know exactly whom he was dealing with and where the loyalties of this foe were placed. Maybe he was against both the Escudo and Espada, for all Kagami knew.

"I am please to see you interested in a proper duel. But I see you're armed with only one blade. Well. I am a gentleman, and to combat you with two would simply be unsporting of me. Shall we?" It seems that the Arrancar got two things wrong. Firstly, Kagami would not by any means fight on Col’s terms. Not as long as he has any other options. However, it would be easy to exploit the fact that Col seems to think he’s going to fight on equal terms with the Shinigami in their next clash. The second mistake he made was calling himself a gentleman. Really? A gentleman? “A deaf old man singing ‘On Top of the World’ while looking up the skirt of the nearest elderly woman exceeds you by far when it comes to being a gentleman.” Kagami didn’t bother hiding the smirk that crawled its way on to his face. In fact, he did more of the opposite. Col was starting to frustrate Kagami even more, avoiding all his attacks and just being annoying in general, but at least it was working both ways.

It seemed that the time for talking was over, and Col prepared himself for an attack with his blade. After all, he was a mere 10 feet away, so there wasn’t much room for him to clear if he wanted to initiate an attack against Kagami. However, as long as Col believed Kagami would only retaliate with his blade, the Lieutenant had an advantage. Based on the beginning movements of Col’s assault, it became clear that he would go for a double-handed slash. Perfect, thought the Vice Captain, putting on his poker face as to prevent the Arrancar from even glimpsing Kagami’s inner thoughts. He wasn’t even going to bother with whatever stroke of the blade Col would execute, it wouldn’t matter if Kagami’s strategy went well.

The first step would be to set up another concealed mirror. It would be parallel with Col’s route toward Kagami so that if it wasn’t concealed, only the thin side would be visible to each of them and the reflective, flat surface would only be slightly in their vision because of the angle they would have looked at it from. It wouldn’t be directly between them but off to the side a bit so when Col passes it on his way to Kagami, he would narrowly avoid it just on his left. Kagami, of course, would conceal the mirror with Image Link once again. But he would not will for Col to go through the mirror, so the Arrancar would feel himself be pushed forward by an invisible force from behind.

And now, when Col begins his slash, the mirror would have already been spinning as to hit the Arrancar on the back and shove him forward. Even though he modified his slash in a maneuver to deceive Kagami, the Shinigami would be allowed to quickly step forward when the Arrancar is knocked off balance from behind and move past Col’s guard. Kagami would then stab the razor sharp tip of his jade blade forward. However, he wouldn’t aim for the Arrancar’s chest or limb, since Hierro would completely negate that attack. Instead, Kagami would tilt the blade upwards and jab it into the Arrancar’s eye at an inclining angle. Col, had he been hit with the mirror and pushed off his footing forward, would be leaning into the sword as well as be too off balance to use a Sonido properly to evade Kagami’s attack.

Remaining Reiatsu: 5675/8000 (-25 for mirror, -50 for Image Link)

[Col Arana]

"Oh dear." Col remarked scathingly, as his opponent mocked you. "You only /wish/ I were an Espada."[/font] He mocked, with a smirk. "Perhaps it would add some vindication to your inevitable defeat."[/font] A half truth. Well. A full truth, with a few details left out. Col was not an Espada, that was true. However, he was not a Fraccion or Numeros either. To say he was not an Espada, was a misleading one, as it suggested he was not at the level of an Espada. Of course, to this foe, he would have no idea of this fact. For all Col might have been saying, he might have been fighting a Fraccion. A Fraccion that so utterly outclassed him as a Vice Captain. A rather humbling experience to be sure, Col was certain.

But enough taunting, he had an attack to manage. Did his opponent really think he'd miss the mirror? Col's eyes were exceptionally good-- possessing animalistic senses, and caught the forming of the mirror in his peripheral vision. Combined with his high level analytical skills, he quickly deduced what it was. "I told you, it's useless." He stated evenly, adjusting his cut, to slice through the mirror as he passed it by. However, it would certainly buy Kagami some time as the blow had taken away from the strike he had intended for his opponent. His thrust was aimed well, but Col was anticipating a blow. An attack to take advantage of the split second of "distraction" offered by cutting through the mirror. Unfortunately for Kagami, Col was not distracted. His analytical skills in and out of combat were exceptional. Kagami's tricks were impressive, but they were also predictable, now that Col understood the nature of his powers. Winning this battle through deception would be extremely difficult for the Vice Captain. Unless he had vastly superior tricks he was hiding, his best bet now would be to prove victorious in skill or power.

And in that respect, Col was taking the initiative, and responding to the thrust to his face in kind. Col had brought his blade down diagonally to cut through Kagami's mirror, thus it had returned to the low guard position. As Kagami thrust at his face, Col stepped towards Kagami, and off to his right (and Kagami's left), cutting his sword upwards. The result of this would be that as Kagami thrusted, Col's sword would slash up from below, cleaving through his wrist in a single fluid counter strike. This would also, if successful, disarm Kagami, as he'd be removing Kagami's sword hand, if this technique went off perfectly. 

Even if it did not, Col still had options. Turning his sword in his hand, from his upward cut, Col lowered the tip. Surely he couldn't be planning on thrusting!? At this range, even Kagami would have had difficulty making a thrusting attack due to the length of their weapons. And Col's Espada Ropera was even longer than Kagami's! How could he possibly make a thrusting attack at this range? And then Col moved his free hand down, and grabbed the blade of his sword. Wielding it like a very short spear, Col gained a new level of control and maneuverability of his sword, and drove it down at Kagami's chest. A near point-blank thrust. This was a western technique called half-swording. By gripping the sword by the blade it allowed a new level of precision and control, and also made it easier to maneuver the sword in close spaces. Adopted by Knights after developments in armor rendered shields arbitrary and pointless, it had originally been intended for close range dueling to stab through the gaps in armor. However it was perfectly serviceable for a short ranged engagement like this one, and enabled Col to have greater maneuverability and control over his sword here, than Kagami would.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2950

[Douma]

Not an Espada, huh? So Col wasn’t one of the famous leaders in Hueco Mundo. No surprise there, considering that he didn’t appear to be the type that would act as a fountain to his people. Then again, neither was Kagami, but that was against the point. All that mattered was the Col wasn’t an Espada. Maybe he wasn’t even on the same team. A freelance Arrancar that did whatever he pleased? That was a possibility. There was another possibility, as well, of course. “Ah, so you’re not an Espada? I guess that means you're a rogue Arrancar. Makes sense, considering that you don't exactly seem like much of a team player.”

Well, Kagami’s assault was a failure. Col had been accustomed to the sudden appearances of those invisible mirrors, a technique that Kagami had used several times that match. And, this time, Col had seen it made the reflective glass his first target. He had lunged forward and slashed through it with his blade, taking little time before continuing on to Kagami. Shit, Kagami cursed. He had learned his lesson. Col knew what to expect when the Shinigami had repetitively used his techniques. However, he was still determined to teach that Arrancar a lesson of his own.

The Vice Captain had prepared a thrust with the tip of his blade. However, Col had a counter for that as well. Kagami found that as he lunged forward, the Arrancar had sidestepped the point of his sword, moving at a diagonal motion to Kagami’s left. His sword arm was on his far side from Col, and it was too late to retract it for a defensive maneuver. Now that Col had passed Kagami’s guard, he had very quickly, in one fluid motion, brought up his own sword, making a gash in Kagami’s wrist. It had definitely made at least minor damage to the nerves, for, against his will, the Lieutenant was forced to open his sword hand. Both blood and his Zanpakuto fell, but he was left with one brief moment to escape while Col’s sword was raised after the successful slash.

His momentum was already moving him forward, so Kagami used to his advantage as he executed a Shunpo forward, getting him out of harm’s way in the blink of the eye. However, he wasn’t about to forget about his precious Zanpakuto. In the same moment that Kagami activated Shunpo, he summoned three mirrors: two layered on top of each other directly below where he was standing next to Col and one exactly where his Shunpo would end, a good 100 meters away. The next step would be to quickly link the mirror next to Kagami to the top mirror where his Zanpakuto was falling so that when the sword fell through on one side, it would pop back out into Kagami’s waiting, uninjured left hand. He would need it if he were going to retreat. After all, it wouldn’t be easy to fight without the use of his sword hand.

However, there was always the chance that Col would attempt to prevent Kagami from retrieving his Zanpakuto or he might even the Shinigami. Therefore, Kagami had a back-up plan. Immediately after summoning his mirrors, he would use Shard Shatter on the mirror on the bottom of the stack next to Col. That way, before the Zanpakuto had even gotten a chance to fall through one of the reflective glasses, Col would be forced to deal with the could of broken glass that encompassed the lower two-thirds over his body or he could evade the attack. Either way, Kagami could still retrieve his weapon and be ready to dip.

If Col did not pursue immediately, Kagami did want to get a few words in. “It’s been funny, Bones, but I think I’ve kept that girl at the bar waiting long enough. Adios.” At this point, Kagami was done with the Arrancar. The fight hadn’t been as quick as he wanted, and now Kagami had to deal with an annoying cut that would take a couple of days, without any medical attention, to heal. He was done with the annoying fight, though make no mistake, Kagami was mad. Frustrated. Furious. Col Arana, I’ll remember you… Kagami was definitely the type to hold a grudge. Especially after Col had tried to bring down Kagami’s ego, although he didn’t succeed in the slightest bit. Kagami was still full of himself, and he was still full of anger. But he just showed the Arrancar a false cheerful smile as he bid farewell.

As Kagami spoke, he would still be prepared to leave. He was standing on his toes and his knees were bent in a prepared position, making him ready to start his escape immediately. As soon as he had finished speaking, Kagami wouldn’t even wait to here Col’s words if he had any. The Lieutenant would leap into as many another heading away from Col, soaring over the buildings of New York. If he was lucky, the Arrancar wouldn’t give him any trouble with his escape. However, Kagami kept his focus on sensing Col’s reiatsu signature just to detect whether or not he was being pursued.

Reiatsu Remaining: 5150/8000 (-25x3 for the mirrors, -50 for the Image Link, -300 for the Shard Shatter, -50x2 for Shunpo: Total -525)

[Col Arana]

"Ho. Not bad." Col remarked as Kagami narrowly avoided losing his hand. His sword toppled away, successfully disarming his opponent. Col became aware of mirrors forming near him as his opponent escaped the situation with Shunpo. "On the retreat already? I expected more of a Vice Captain." He mocked. "Out of tricks I suppose?" He remarked, immediately moving away as the mirrors formed. And fortunately as well, as the shard shatter attack struck quickly and nearly without warning. Predicting the move, however, Col had managed to clear the space the shards would scatter. This was now the third time he had seen the move. Unless Kagami had been deliberately deceiving him and limiting the space they scattered, Col would be able to move clear, in a burst of speed, moving twenty meters from the mirrors.

He did not prevent Kagami recovering his zanpakuto, though his expected one hundred meters from Col, ended up only being eighty or so, due to Col's own movements. Still a substantial distance. A "safe" distance. Or so it would seem. Col politely allowed Kagami to taunt at him before retorting. "Oh--" And then Kagami began to flee again. In his intent on fleeing the battle however, he was not paying attention to what Col was saying. And that would be costly. The Zarpa gave a small sigh, lifting a hand. Kagami, would doubtlessly be watching for a Cero of some kind to chase him down. That was not the case. Kagami was about to witness something that no shinigami had ever seen an arrancar do. There was no way for him to suspect what was to come. "Bakudo 61. Rikujokoro." Col stated lazily. Loud enough that, had Kagami been near to him, he'd have heard it. But unfortunately, the Vice Captain was not close enough. Even with his energy sensing abilities, while he might have detected a surge of reiatsu, it was very unlikely he'd discern what was about to happen, without actually hearing the phrase.

In that instant, six rods of light formed around Kagami and slammed into him on all sides. This was somewhat different from the standard Bakudo-- rather than gleaming yellow light, these rods were a night black in color. But the Bakudo was unmistakable. The arrancar had just used a kido spell-- something that only Shinigami were supposed to be capable of (and Akki, but Akki were nearly as unknown to the shinigami as the Escudo). Kagami would be stopped fast, and the spell would impact him with tremendous force-- enough so as to wind him, along with binding him in place. Col would add a quick Sonido and appear before the Vice Captain again. "That was awfully rude of you. Clearly someone ought to teach you manners~" He taunted, flicking his espada ropera up at Kagami's face, so as to cut a very thin line across his left cheek. "I simply couldn't let you leave after so entertaining a duel, without showing you something special. What do you think?" He taunted further, attempting a cause a second thin wound along his right cheek as well.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2700 (-100 for Sonido, -150 for Rikujokoro)

[Douma]

God, this guy never shuts up, does he? So what if the now pissed off Vice Captain was retreating. He had business of his own to take care of, and he prioritized his own affairs far higher than those of the petty Arrancar. Kagami would never admit that Col had just struck a significant blow to the Shinigami. No, that would be far too undermining for Kagami to handle. Instead, the Lieutenant was much more comfortable with backing off and enjoying his night as he had planned to. And as long as he didn’t make his way to a bar too late, Kagami shouldn’t have a hard time finding a young woman that hadn’t been taken yet. He could definitely use the rest of the night to unwind after these not-so-pleasant events unfolded. Why did I have to go after this Arrancar on my night off?

Kagami’s back was turned to Col as he started increasing the distance between the two. So far, he hadn’t sensed any change in the Arrancar’s position. Good, maybe he’ll finally back off. And that’s when Kagami felt a significant fluctuation in the reiatsu of the Arrancar. “Spoke too soon,” he muttered under his breath to himself. In preparation for whatever Cero or Bala Kagami was anticipating, he had summoned two mirrors and linked them simultaneously. One would appear directly in front of the Shinigami so that right when it appeared, he would sprint straight through it. The other mirror would be 200 meters away, branching off diagonally from Kagami’s path, just in case the Cero Col unleashed would be powerful enough to take out Kagami’s mirrors. After all, the Vice Captain figured out that Col learns from his mistakes rather quickly.

But to Kagami’s surprise, as he made his sudden escape, he caught shocking sight of a few rods of light closing in around him from all directions as he evaded them with the mirrors. Did he just… Kagami wasn’t just speechless. His mind was stunned and he couldn’t come to any logical conclusion regarding what exactly had happened. Instead of resuming his retreat, Kagami spun around to face the mirror. Col had made his way to where Kagami stood when the Arrancar had activated the technique, so using the link between the mirrors, the Shinigami and Arrancar could see each other and converse like they were right next to each other. Though Kagami would only initiate the conversation if he found that Col wasn’t continuing the pursuit. The Vice Captain wasn’t about to risk getting caught just to get a few words in.

“That was Kido, wasn’t it.” That definitely wasn’t a question from the Shinigami’s part. If anything, it was more of a statement to establish what had just occurred. The confusion had now passed over and was replaced by solid, logical deduction. “Bakuda #61: Rikujokoro, to be more precise. But Arrancar can’t use Kido.” Another blunt statement that Kagami felt the need to address. It just helped him retrace over the dots that he had connected in his mind. “What makes you different?” And there was the question. Any hint of cheery, playful arrogance that the Vice Captain had earlier in the fight was gone. This was business, and he did not take the idea of Arrancar being able to use Kido lightly.

Reiatsu Remaining: 5150/8000 (-25x2 for mirrors, -50 for Image Link)

[Col Arana]

Feh. He had narrowly avoided the Rikujokoro. Col regretted toying with him. Had he been fighting at full power, he had no doubt that technique would have easily ensnared his prey. The irritation in his face was palpable, as Kagami raised the mirrors. "What makes me different? Why would I answer that in a medium so impersonal as a mirror?" Col asked. Freeing one hand from his zanpakuto, Col formed a Cero, and held it. It was a deep azure blue. However, he did not fire it. Not quite yet. His eyes boring into Kagami, not through the mirror, but beyond it, to where Kagami was actually positioned. "I wonder what manner of man you are." Col said, seemingly going off on a nonsequitor. "You ask what makes me different? Why don't you answer that to me, Vice Captain. What is it, that made you different from your peers. What made you excel above them. Natural talent? Or was it drive?" Col asked, a puzzling line of questions. "And if it was drive, I wonder then, what drives you." He finished, with a smirk, and glanced, almost casually at the streets below.

Though Col and Kagami were invisible to most humans, there were all too many walking on the streets below. This one glance down, would betray Col's intentions to Kagami. "Show me what kind of man you are." Col demanded of Kagami, as he swept his hand out, and a Cero blazed forwards at a number of civilians. It was MASSIVE. The Cero Col had just fired could have engulfed a building! If it hit the ground, the casualties would not be light. Would Kagami be able to stop a Cero so massive? One mirror wouldn't be able to do it, of course. The Cero was too large. A mirror might have been able to reflect some of the Cero, as he had before, but the entire attack was simply too massive. For as much as might be reflected by a mirror, more still would simply go around it. Kagami would need multiple mirrors in order to reflect an attack like this.... But would he do that? Or would he condemn these people to their deaths?

Reiatsu Remaining: 2500 (-200 for Cero)

[Douma]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Music Makes Everything Better! }

"What makes me different? Why would I answer that in a medium so impersonal as a mirror?"

Kagami knew that somewhere, somehow, he did something right. Not only was the irritation heavy in the Arrancar’s voice, but also he could see the annoyance easily in Col’s face. Even his word choice showed his less-than-pleased attitude at how the past events occurred. But Kagami was still too puzzled by the Arrancar’s use of Kido to bask in his small psychological victory. And since Col had swatted away Kagami’s question, there was no chance that the Vice Captain would comply with Col’s inquiry.

"You ask what makes me different? Why don't you answer that to me, Vice Captain. What is it, that made you different from your peers. What made you excel above them. Natural talent? Or was it drive?"

“Easy,” Kagami remarked cockily, masking over his previous surprise with a cocky façade. “You see, my peers don't see exactly how small the big picture is.” Kagami wasn’t just referencing his fellow Shinigami, but he was talking about problems with the world as a whole. “Life is short. Therefore, I plan on enjoying it to the fullest.” Kagami not only ended the link between the two mirrors, but he allowed the mirrors themselves to fade into nothingness. He raised his voice to a shout so that it would easily carry over to Arrancar. “Welcome to my world, Col Arana. A world where three things matter: Wine, War, and Women. And right now, you are only a third of my priorities.

“War is why I fight. War is why I train. War is why I will kick your ass.” Kagami changed his mind about retreating. This wasn’t a distraction anymore, since the Vice Captain had brought his pride into it. Defeat wasn’t an option, and neither was retreating. "Show me what kind of man you are." “Bro, I am not whipping it out for you. But do you happen to have a sister?” Kagami flashed Col a cocky grin after his mockery before Shunpoing right at the Arrancar. Kagami had timed it so that he would appear before the Arrancar just after the Cero was released. Kagami sliced upwards with his left hand holding the sword and his injured right hand activating Hado #35: Raikou Kawa. The point was so that Col could turn his attention to Kagami when the Lieutenant had summoned exactly as he had Shunpoed three mirrors not far from the heads of the civilains Col was targeting. The mirrors were placed together so that they covered as much distance as they could. That was about half the Cero.

But while half the Cero would kill those innocent people, the other half would go into avenging their killer and be reflected back at the Arrancar. That way, he would have to deal with a blade and his own Cero. Kagami was ready to see this fight all the way.

Reiatsu Remaining: 4925/8000 (-25x3 for Mirrors, -50 for Shunpo, -100 for Raikou Kawa)

[Col Arana]

His opponent's resolve had returned. That was good! A smirk crossed Col's face. "Magnificent." He stated eloquently, raising his sword in his free hand in challenge. "That is what I expect of a Vice Captain." He declared, observing the mirrors dissolve, and them summon below. Excellent. He already knew that Kagami would attempt to reflect his Cero. That was barely something to even be considered. Col knew the speed of his Cero, and knew he had a moment before it would hit the optimal point to intercept it with Kagami's mirrors. Then he would have a moment more before it returned to him. For those two moments, his focus would be on the attacking Kagami. Col didn't have to see the mirrors appearing to know Kagami had summoned them. He had seen their ability to reflect his attacks before. He did not take the chance that they would not reflect his Cero. He knew they would.

Kagami attacked with a slash, and Col reacted quickly, kicking off the air ground and some twenty meters up, above where his reflected Cero would pass. This would also drive him clear of Kagami's kido spell. And since I've already shown him one trick....[/color] Col mused in his mind. "Bakudo 9! Geki!" Col declared sweeping his free hand down to point at Kagami. This Bakudo was near instantaneous, and would bind Kagami in place with a black light. With Col's Cero hurtling back towards the space the arrancar had just occupied this would be a disastrous place to be frozen by the Zarpa's Bakudo spell!

"Vice Captain Kagami, was it?" Col intoned. "Your resolve is adequate. I deem you a worthy adversary. Try not to disappoint me." He stated, and then smirked. Kagami had bad luck indeed. To be deemed a worthy adversary by Col was to invite a truly unpleasant demise. Although Kagami did not know it, this was now more than just a fight for his honor, but his life. If he were defeated now, his death would be truly gruesome and horrible to behold.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2475 (-25 for Geki)

[Douma]

So it seemed that Kagami’s rediscovered drive had also gotten Col pumped, though it seemed that they both held an equally strong air of arrogance. Now, it was a matter of who could support their confidence better. So far, the Arrancar had dodged Kagami’s assult with relative ease, leaving the Vice Captain standing in the same shoes that his opponent was just a moment ago. With the Cero hurtling toward Kagami, he had summoned a mirror beside him that was pointed at such an angle so that it would reflect the Cero back up towards Col. He had planned to continue pressing the Arrancar with a physical attack.

But as Kagami summoned the mirror, he heard the shouts of Col as he casted another Kido, this time a stunning technique. Since it would only stun Kagami physically, he would be free to create the mirror without moving an inch. However, it would leave him as an easy target, so Kagami protected himself by summoning two more mirrors, linking them to their own opposite sides to keep them invisible, and placing them so that together with the mirror that had reflected the Cero, they would surround him in a triangle shape and protect him from any possible counter-attacks from Col. There was no doubt that he would once again dodge the Cero, and so Kagami made sure to be prepared to defend himself.

With the addition of 3 more mirrors, Kagami allowed the other three mirrors that had reflected the cero initially to fade away. Frozen still, he began to switch from his hardheaded battle mentality to his rational military leader mindset. So whoever this Arrancar is, he’s stronger than most Espada. If things keep up… Kagami didn’t need to finish the thought. Right now, the odds were all pointing towards a loss. So all he had to do was defy the odds. Sounds like fun, he thought to himself as he waited in his mostly invisible for his paralysis to break in a second. “I promise, you’re going to be very disappointed in just a few moments.” Kagami didn’t maintain his confidence of victory, but he sure did manage to keep his cocky façade as strong as ever.

Reiatsu Remaing: 4925/8000 (-75 for mirrors, -100 for Image Links)

Mirrors: 3/5

[Col Arana]

Col noticed Kagami summon a mirror to defend himself from the oncoming Cero. So. He could create his mirrors without the need for movement? He would have to time this just right. Col flicked up his blade. "So it would seem." He responded. The other mirrors Kagami created didn't bother him. Only the one that was going to reflect his Cero. He needed just one moment to do this. Seizing the timing he needed, Col literally threw his sword. The Espada Ropera spun through the air, in a deadly arc, slicing through Kagami's mirrors an instant before the Cero reached it, splitting the mirror in two and allowing the Cero to push through towards its intended mark. Far below them, Col's sword embedded itself deeply into the roof of a building, point first. But that would hardly be Kagami's concern. The Cero mere feet away from his immobilized form was what should have occupied the brunt of his attention.

Col then frowned. Normally, Bakudo 9 wouldn't wear off on its own. It had to be broken by the target, through either superior reiatsu strength or releasing their Zanpakuto. It was low in power, true, but still required some work to break free of it, and brute strength alone wouldn't avail him. However, after the Cero had struck its mark, Col would release his hold, whether or not Kagami was destroyed. He gave a disappointed sigh. "I made a terrible mistake, there won't be enough left of you to devour." He stated in dissatisfaction. This was a near perfect opening for Kagami. Col had literally disarmed himself, thought Kagami dead, and his guard was down completely. If Kagami had managed to survive the Cero, it seemed he wouldn't get a better chance to attack than this. Or flee, if it came to it.

Col didn't even wait until the smoke of the Cero cleared. He suspected if there were any remnants of Kagami they'd have fallen to the ground. As he didn't see that, the Zarpa instead made his way down to the building his sword had pierced. The blade had sunk a good two feet into the building's roof, so it, ironically, and perhaps almost comically, took Col some jiggling to pull the blade free. "Alas. That certainly was more fun than I've had in awhile. He very nearly took effort to destroy." Col mocked his (to his knowledge), deceased foe, his back to the point the Cero had struck.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2475

[Douma]

Col went for the unexpected. Throwing ones own weapon is not something to take lightly, especially if the said weapon is a blade. But on the other hand ((pun intended, which you’ll soon get)), Col did have another sword to Kagami’s knowledge. Most Shinigami would have been surprised by Col’s action, but Kagami had been trained to keep his head level in the midst of battle, and so he decided to try using Col’s counter to his own advantage, which would at the moment be to escape from his more powerful opponent.

As soon as Col began to pitch his reiatsu sword, Kagami released both Image Links on the previously hidden mirrors. Now that the three mirrors surrounding him wouldn’t be hidden, Kagami would be completely cut off from Col’s point of view. With that in mind, one of his mirrors, not the one that would be soon destroyed by the Arrancar’s hurtling sword, would be linked with a new mirror, one Kagami would summon a distant 200 meters above his head, much further away than Col would expect to even glance. By linking the reflective glass spinning towards him with the mirror hovering above, he would be swept up by the rotating mirror and transported onto the mirror above him, where he would again end the image link.

At this time, the Cero would have burned through where Kagami had previously stood and used his two mirrors to bounce directly back at him. If he had remained where he was, Kagami would have been hit by the Cero twice. But, luckily for him, he was safely sitting above. And, just to make sure that Col didn’t accidentally glance up or sense his reiatsu, he had summoned another two mirrors surrounding him in another triangle formation. He linked the outer sides of these mirrors to the exterior surface of the mirror he was lying on so that Kagami’s presence was contained by the mirrors and all other reiatsu would pass straight through his location through the mirrors without bouncing back for Col to detect. Now, the Arrancar wouldn’t even be able to visibly detect the Vice Captain.

Whew, that was a close one… Col had been a pressing opponent, and that was a fact Kagami might deny to any who inquired about it, but he accepted the truth to himself. He was outmatched by the Arrancar, and he wouldn’t be able to secure a victory right then and there. But the battle wasn’t necessarily over yet. Kagami held his breath as he silently prayed that Col didn’t somehow notice him. The fact that the Cero would have hit him twice might allow the Arrancar to assume that the lack of a body was due to utter incineration, though something would definitely smell fishy about the situation. The only question left is how good Col’s sense of smell is.

But Kagami didn't give him enough time to get suspicious. Because he was shielded from reiatsu detection by his mirrors, he would summon a new mirror another two hundred meters away and by linking it with one of the reflective glasses nearby, he would transport himself instantaneously to it. After wards, Kagami would begin a chain of Shunpos, moving further and further away from Col. With his headstart, the Arrancar would have a hard time even trying to catch up. And once Kagami had cleared a good distance and made sure Col was no where nearby, he would only then return to Soul Society. His night was definitely over, but he eagerly and determinedly look forward to the day that he could go round two with the Arrancar that could use Kido.

Reiatsu Remaining: 4700/8000 (-75 for three mirrors, -150 for three Image Links)

Mirrors: 5/5

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

+680 TP to Kagami
+570 +100 =+670 TP to Col