The Crimson King vs The Black Knight: Kuroi vs Sozen Round 2

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{This song first!}

Sozen did not lose focus. Instead, he closed his eyes while Kuroi appeared and began to attack him. Kuroi was trying to overwhelm him with those blades...That same hellish sword style that had left Sozen speechless in their last fight, and had probably killed so many others before him too. How could anyone have an answer to that? This was why they wanted Kuroi eliminated so badly. It took a lot of trouble and manpower to bring him down. It had been estimated that it would take up to three high level Captains simultaneously to defeat the Segunda Espada. Well, call Sozen ambitious, but he didn't really like the idea. He figured that one on one was adequate, if he was smart about it.

And he was about to be proven correct. It was true that Kuroi's sword style was possibly unmatched. Sozen certainly hadn't ever seen anything quite like it, and back when he had first encountered it, he'd been stumped. It had taken his all to defend it, and really all he'd done was use his tricky Shikai. That was the secret to Kuroi. Annoying powers, such as Sozen's Zanpakuto. Sozen didn't have that activated, though, and it would be too slow if he tried to. He had actually planned for this one anyway. Ever since Sozen had first encountered Kuroi's swords for the first time, he had been training to become stronger. And, not long ago, he'd figured something out.

"Mimic...Aoi?" Sozen asked aloud. The idea seemed ridiculous at the time that Kenpachi Shingai had first suggested it to Sozen, who had requested advice in combating the likes of the Segunda Espada. Aoi was a user of a long range weapon, the spear. Her Zanpakuto's base form was a spear, unlike Sozen's, which remained a katana. For that reason, she was a master in spear play. He had seen her in combat, and she was worth calling a monster even beyond Sozen, but how could he mimic that? He could not use a spear, and simply mimic her combat styles. "I...don't use a spear." Sozen was perplexed, but Shingai was patient enough with him to explain what it was that he meant.

"No, but you can move almost as quickly as she can," Shingai patiently replied. "And some of your techniques are faster than anything that she can produce. As I recall, you have some that also have a far greater reach than anything that Aoi can achieve as well, at least with melee weapons." Sozen thought about it, and realized that Shingai was correct. Sozen did possess faster cast spells than Aoi did, especially one in particular. He also did, with certain weapons, have a much longer reach than Aoi could ever have with her spear. Maybe the swordsman didn't always need to have the range disadvantage. Well, of course not. Thinking back, on it, Sozen realized Kuroi made up for that too.

He remembered had Kuroi's attack seemed infallible, and how short of something gimmicky, one couldn't actually defeat it. He also remembered that Kuroi seemed to have an impenetrable defense. So, if they were talking about pure swordsmanship, Kuroi had the strongest method of fighting. That wasn't exactly true, though. It was dawning on Sozen that he also had something to fight with. It was gimmicky in its own way, but it wasn't the same as just using Shikai to barely defend himself and escape with mild harm. This time, he would get out completely unharmed, and Kuroi would be the one to take some of the damage.

"Power isn't just in raw strength..." Sozen recalled from teachings of his childhood. "Power alone will lose to cunning and power put together...And even the greatest of powers fall to the might of the will of men..." At that point, he had also just quoted one of the great Captain Commanders, the mighty first of them all. Wise words came from a man who was supposedly well over 33,000 years old, and should hypothetically be dead, if not for the fact that according to Aoi and Shingai, they had actually met this man in the Royal Guard. Not that Sozen would know just yet. He had not yet earned the position of Royal Guard. But, he would soon. He just knew it. "Then...I know what to do..."

Stop music.

Aka...is it ready? Sozen asked. He needed wait only a split second for the response. It's ready. Sozen smiled as Kuroi's whirlwind of fire and bladework was incoming. Okay, so Kuroi had the superior swordsmanship, superior firepower, and probably even the superior energy reserves not only in reiatsu, but in stamina. Also, given that Kuroi could boost his own speed while negating Sozen's, Sozen probably couldn't be stated to even have any advantages. Except that, in fact, he did have an advantage. It wasn't a physical advantage. It was a spiritual one. It was Sozen's ingenuity. "Then...here we go...Kuroi..." Sozen said.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this now!}

"Angel's Reach: Heavenly Spear."

Sozen started to spin around rapidly, and in fact even used Shunpo Karin on his spinning leg to massively increase the speed of his spin. As he did, many blades extended out of his fingernail metal claws, and out of his mask, and they all extended simultaneously. In a second of blurring speed, Sozen created his perfect defense. It was a whirlwind of blades of his own, a cyclone in fact, which from the center of Kuroi's grew larger because of the size. So many blades pierced out so instantaneously that all angles around Sozen were for a split second struck virtually simultaneously by Sozen's blades. This, for Kuroi, was the worst possible outcome.

While Kuroi's style was to be considered infallible, Sozen had realized that it wasn't ubiquitous. Kuroi's attack was so smooth and fluid as to seem perfect, but there was no way for his blades to be everywhere at once. It just crossed everywhere so quickly that it seemed to be everywhere at once. Sozen, however, whose cyclone was faster not only because of the instantaneous nature of his Soulbind, but the enhanced spin of Shunpo Karin, was able to occupy all of that space that Kuroi's blades left empty, even if only momentarily. This caused Kuroi's blades to be forced to intersect with Sozen's. It wouldn't stop them. Normally it would, and it would stop the customized one, which would halt and fly into the air, but it wouldn't stop Taiyou Ken, the cutting blade.

Instead, Sozen's blades would all be chopped up. However, that was the beauty of it. All of the released blades bore Sozen's red, and incidentally, as they were severed, they created dozens and dozens of red fragments everywhere, which Sozen took advantage of. In a burst of blue flames in that moment, Sozen's Soulbind was undone, and in its place, he held once again a red sheathe, and a sword with a red blade. Akai Birido, his Shikai, made a return. Though the blades from Soulbind were meant to fade, they had seconds before they would, leaving these red blades as Sozen's ultimate toys. All of this was so fast that Sozen himself was surprised he was not cut, but was not surprised at the same time, having managed to slow Kuroi's strike by half a heartbeat or more with this maneuver.

With that maneuver, Sozen suddenly disappeared using Red Teleport, allowing him to materialize outside of Kuroi's continuing cyclone, and for him to, with the dozens of floating blade fragments, attack from every single angle. All around, from three hundred sixty degrees as Sozen's foot touched down on the ground from teleporting to one of his blade shards, Kuroi would witness blades enclosing in on him like a cage, as if all coming to stab him and to kill him. The Segunda Espada was now trapped. It was so perfect that not even his own attack could save him. However, Sozen didn't finish there. Kuroi had to take some more damage.

So, with reiatsu suddenly glowing all around his body, Sozen aimed his left hand hard at Kuroi, who would be preoccupied with the attempt to defend against the attack. A cool smile broke onto Sozen's face, as at last, he held a clean advantage against the Segunda Espada. Now, with his blades coming in, and his perfect attack which reached all angles preparing to kill Kuroi, Sozen activated one of his most powerful techniques. With his arm glowing with reiatsu, and brightening up, Sozen's glinting red eyes gazed into Kuroi's. It was time, at last, to bring an end to the Segunda Espada. "Hado #96: Itto Kaso!"

Sixteen seconds is more than enough...

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 1375/3000 Reiatsu

Shikai Post Count: 1/10

[Zou ۞]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

I see...They're all enclosing on me. How foolish, and utterly stupid. Perhaps Kuroi had overestimated his opponent. While he had been momentarily impressed when his blade attacks had been slowed, regardless he was not terribly awed, because it had not been stopped. Had Sozen fully halted Kuroi's attack, then perhaps the Segunda might have been more inclined to accept some form of possibility behind Sozen's statements. However, as it was, Sozen had failed to halt Kuroi's attack. He had only slowed it down. It was ridiculous that Sozen Kuchiki had seen fit to talk down to Kuroi after showcasing only that. If that was all that Sozen could achieve, then what was the point in talking big? He was still no match for Kuroi in terms of actual battle ability. If he had to use gimmicks to stop the Segunda Espada, then it was pointless to try to claim himself as Kuroi's equal. Kuroi's eyes started to analyze the situation with flawless, machine-like quality, and total calm and rationality. He was objective, and unimpeded by any sort of emotions. He was like a machine programmed for combat.

He has underestimated me... Kuroi thought to himself. Sozen had truly underestimated him, to think that an attack from all angles would be enough to win. Just blades? Ridiculous. Kuroi had Taiyou Ken, the blades which could sever all of the incoming blades in an instant, and leave them shredded as nothing. Not only that, but he had defensive sword styles as well. There was no point in a strike from everywhere at once. This was until Sozen tried to spice things up with another move. In an instant, Sozen started to prepare the forbidden Kido technique called Itto Kaso. The sacrificial Hado, which would dissolve away Sozen's arm, was a costly technique, and Sozen had already used it once before during their fight, leading Kuroi to wonder how on earth Sozen could even think to use it again. Regenerating that arm earlier must have come at quite a huge cost as well. At this rate, it was Sozen who would burn out long before Kuroi did. With that in mind, Kuroi decided that it was best not to guard with his sword styles, but with something to directly counter the power of Itto Kaso.

"Ridiculous..." Kuroi said. "To challenge me in destructive combat...Thinking Itto Kaso can trump me. You don't think that I do not have a technique with which to counter even your most powerful of Kido? How foolish." Kuroi used his Sonido in conjunction with his currently super amplified speed to achieve a great distance in the air. Simultaneously, his blade blurred around him so quickly as if to appear to craft a white dome. "Jigoku No Bijutsu: Shikkussu No Sodofomu: Chitandomu." Kuroi stated in a bleak monotone voice as he rose into the air, and his blades shredded all incoming weapons as he rose up and guarded perfectly. Then, with the black stars on his chest glowing, Kuroi glared down at Sozen after having risen into the air. To think for even a second that Itto Kaso was some sort of trump card was an enormous mistake. While previously, it had been used to counter Enma Cero, now it would fail against an even greater technique, not only more powerful, but now with Kuroi's heavily enhanced reiatsu strength. Sozen had seen this technique before already, and had barely escaped. How would he do it this time?

"Muerte Rey Cero..." Kuroi said. The black Cero instantaneously exploded forth from his chest to attack. Larger than even the tallest of skyscrapers, with ominous black reiatsu flowing everywhere, it lunged forwards at incredible speed, threatening to engulf Sozen and everything around and behind him, and turn it all to ashes. It came with a higher class and reiatsu strength than Itto Kaso did, and would engulf the Kido and completely destroy it. In fact, in size, it was entirely possible that Muerte Rey Cero was significantly larger than Sozen's Itto Kaso, and that not only would the knife be drowned, but that it would fail to even split the Muerte Rey Cero and give Sozen that route as an escape. Instead, Itto Kaso would simply be dwarfed and annihilated, and Sozen would then find himself engulfed in either the technique itself, or the sheer explosion of reiatsu, fire, and power as the technique ended. Both of these would completely turn him into less than ashes, and the world around them into even less than it had already been turned into.

And yet, Kuroi did not expect Sozen to be killed by this alone, though technically the shock and recoil of using Itto Kaso should make it difficult to respond on time, and the stamina drain even more than that, not to mention that the technique was so large that a step technique couldn't even escape it anyway at that distance. It was probable that Sozen might have to take the hit, because it was virtually impossible to guard against it, and it was literally impossible to escape it with the likes of a Shunpo. This trapped Sozen, limiting him to very few options, and the need to continue to have his reiatsu and stamina severely taxed if he wanted to have any chance of actually continuing to fight Kuroi. While it was true that never before had Kuroi ever had to go this deep into his release against a Shinigami, it was also true that Sozen simply did not wield the capacity or capabilities to fight against him anyway. Sozen might be cunning, and might possess a great deal of gimmicks, but he was certainly nothing special in terms of raw power. And this was why Kuroi would win.

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 2450/2500 Reiatsu [-3800 when Ress. ends]

Ressurection - Primera Etapa: 5/16

Silencio Hazo: 5/6

Kakucho Cero: 2/8

Spiritual Pressure: 250

Reiatsu Strength: 550 (x2.5) = 1375

Hierro Strength: 2750

Kuroi's Speed: 800

Sozen's Speed: 233

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{This song first}

Kuroi was mistaken, because he had fallen for a trick that he himself used. Numerous reports correlated a trick that Kuroi was capable of using, wherein he had a red glow form on his hand and projected his reiatsu, but then did nothing else with it, and went on to a different attack. And always, he would say "cero," or something like that. It was a fake. In most fights, it could be called a feint. In a sport such as basketball, it was like a double clutch. Kuroi cleverly used it to bait his opponents into action so that he could suddenly wound them unexpectedly as he reacted to them thinking that they were interrupting him.

Sozen did the same thing. Instead of using Itto Kaso, he charged his spiritual pressure into his reiatsu strength. That was why he appeared to be outputting a large fire made of reiatsu around his body. This was happening while Kuroi was using his fancy sword maneuvers to defend against all of the incoming blades. Sozen was charging his reiatsu, because he had seen Kuroi do the same thing earlier, and knew that if he wanted to have any sort of chance of fighting now, he actually had to sharpen his blade. But it wasn't just about sharpening his blade. It was also about set-up for what was next to come. Because what was next to come would be far worse.

Are you alright, Aka? Sozen asked in his brain as he was charging. He knew that Aka had sustained a lot of strain and damage to help him with that last attack. I will manage... She murmured back into his mind's ear. Sozen nodded in acknowledgment. He needed her to push through with him. Kuroi was not an easy opponent, and he needed to be able to give it his all if he was to have any hope of actually defeating the Segunda Espada. Next, Sozen saw Kuroi, emerging victorious from the blades that he had defended against, and preparing himself as the stars on his chest lit up. Having seen the technique already, Sozen knew what was coming.

Kuroi had very easily guarded the blades. It had almost been too easy. Despite all of the effort that had gone into Sozen's attack, Kuroi hadn't had a problem with it. Ah, well, as expected of the greatest swordsman in Hueco Mundo, or at least he who proclaimed himself to be. Sozen honestly shouldn't have been surprised. He had known that the attack would actually fail. It had just been his way of trying to set the pressure and offbalance Kuroi. He had had control of the flow of combat, and wanted more control of it. But, Kuroi was starting to upset Sozen's control of the combat flow. These next few moments would decide who had the most control.

I've never met anyone as strong as Kuroi before... Sozen admitted to himself. Not even in the Vandenreich... Not even Wilhelm Kohler or other powerful enemies compared. Not Schultz Silverhult. Not Kassen Oro, nor Shiga Urago, nor Zouma Santeku or any of his Vizards. Not even Satsujun, the one they called "the strongest man in the world," or "the God of Murder" himself was an equal to Kuroi. Sozen had met all of these people, and defeated many of them too. They were all strong, but Sozen had always been stronger, or more cunning. No one had ever pressured him the way Kuroi was pressuring him now. It was truly a very real struggle.

Well, that didn't mean that Sozen couldn't still win. Kuroi was strong, but Sozen was cunning. Cunning would always win over strength, especially if the person who was cunning was also strong. Sozen had a lot of ways to take advantage of the situation, even if Kuroi didn't believe it. Well, Sozen actually didn't have time to do anything fancy yet. Those stars had lit up on Kuroi's chest. Muerte Rey Cero, as Sozen had found out last time, was extremely fast. It was an instantaneous release, so stopping and waiting for that technique wasn't going to do anyone any favors, least of all Sozen. He wanted to win, so he had to be smart about it.

...As expected of the Esteemed Head of the Noble Kuchiki Family. Sozen saw it, then, while his reiatsu was finishing its charge. He saw the first ebbs of black reiatsu as the Muerte Rey Cero technique began to discharge. It was huge. Sozen could have sworn that he had never before in his entire life seen such a massive, powerful technique. That blast of reiatsu was like a sign from God that there was such a thing as monsters in the world. Still, Sozen didn't give up. He looked up at it, as if it was the sun incarnate, and he prepared himself for his next move. The black light from Kuroi's technique shone in his eyes, and he remembered something...

Two months previously, Sozen found himself tending to his three dozen majestic white stallions after a peaceful ride, but was suddenly approached by another. This other was Jinbei Kawada, who, for some strange reason, had a giant gray wolf with him. The wolf eyed the stallion hungrily, but Sozen's horses were all enormous, with far more athletic bodies than any other horses, and that stallion in particular was Sozen's strongest. The wolf clearly got the message that if it attacked Sozen's stallion, it was going to die. Anyway, Jinbei Kawada. Huge, muscular man, no hair but gray sideburns and a gray beard. Rather old. Grandfather of Shade Kawada, current head of the Kawada family.

Jinbei, the former Head of the Kawada family, was the man who in fact had firmly rooted the doctrine of Kawada elitism. It had existed beforehand, as proven when Jinbei, in an effort to make him stronger, was thrown into the streets and expected to make his way back by traveling through all Rukongai, but it had not become so extreme as it was in modern times until Jinbei Kawada took position as Head. When Jinbei's own father committed suicide once it became apparent that his son was going to defeat him, disgrace him, and have him ousted from the Kawadas, Jinbei became head, and soon went to work making it powerful.

Living alongside Sozen's grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki, and other legends such as Mighty Shigekuni, who would later become the 33rd Captain Commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and also Kenpachi Shingai, now a regular friend, mentor, and advisor to Sozen, and a friend of Aoi's from the Zero Division, Jinbei Kawada had become a living legend. However, living legend or not, it was rare for him to actually engage with Kuchikis, let alone with their Head, Sozen. He had been friends with Ginrei, but Sozen and Jinbei had almost never exchanged words before. So, with Jinbei having arrived, and with a wolf, Sozen couldn't help but feel quite curious.

"May I help you, Lord Kawada?" Sozen asked, respectfully addressing Jinbei by former title rather than first name. Sozen addressed Shade by first name, but Jinbei was an older man of an older generation, and Sozen understood the need to maintain formalities with Jinbei. This was an assumption which Jinbei did not bother to correct him on. Instead, he was quick, and to the point. "I want to thank you for defeating my grandson in combat," Jinbei told Sozen, referring to a fight several months ago that Sozen had had with Kenryoku Kawada. He had defeated Kenryoku, who had fought him only to force information out of him about the Segunda Espada.

"Doing battle with so prestigious a warrior was my pleasure," Sozen replied with a smile. "Certainly," Jinbei said dryly. "That stupid boy thought himself powerful enough to seek out the Segunda Espada, the creature that alone massacred half the Kawada forces and the previous Head, yet Kenryoku could not even defeat you, who also lost to the Arrancar." Sozen did not know what to say at that point, though he did have an automatic, reflexive response. "My condolences for the loss of your son," Sozen said, having not actually been in Seireitei when it had happened. It was not a recent event, but he had never been able to give condolences for it, so now was as good a time as any.

"It has inspired him to reclaim the power of Bankai," Jinbei told Sozen. "The fool allowed a Quincy to steal his, and rather than trying to get it back, or simply craft a better one, he thought that improving his fundamentals alone would help. He should have done both fundamentals and Bankai to begin with. After you defeated him, he started doing that. This is why I am here to thank you. You have helped prepare my grandson to face the Segunda." Sozen felt that he needed to butt in somehow here. Jinbei seemed to have the wrong impression. Tying up his horse completely, Sozen turned fully to Jinbei Kawada. As he did, an enormous lion strolled into the fields. Not the Squad 9 Captain. An actual lion that Sozen kept as a pet.

Petting the lion, which had glinting red eyes, Sozen smiled politely to Jinbei. "Forgive me, Lord Kawada," Sozen said. "But your son will not be facing the Segunda. That one is my prey, and mine alone." There was a moment of tense silence, and during it, Sozen felt imminent danger, as if Jinbei would actually attack him right there. He knew that it wouldn't happen, but the danger felt real. He wasn't ready yet for an opponent on Jinbei's level. He understood that. He was crafty, but even that only went so far. So, Sozen did have hopes that Jinbei wouldn't attack him. He needed some prep time if he was going to face Jinbei Kawada.

But, Jinbei Kawada didn't attack, and spoke. "I have heard rumors of your diligent training," Jinbei admitted. "Including a battle with the Squad 3 Captain, Squad 10 Captain, and Cuarta Espada." Word traveled quickly, it looked like. "Not all simultaneously of course," Sozen joked. Jinbei seemed to take it seriously, and did not smile. Well, okay. In all fairness, Jinbei could probably take all three of those opponents simultaneously. He was that strong. Sozen knew it. He had been told that Jinbei was close to Shingai's strength. Not quite there, because Shingai was not nearly so rusty, but close enough that none of the Captains were Jinbei's equal.

"And I heard that you have been working on a new technique..." Jinbei continued. Sozen knew then what Jinbei was talking about. Jinbei was speaking of the new output of reiatsu some had sensed Sozen giving off within his courtyard. He had not perfected it yet, though. Every time he initiated it, he got close, but then it fizzled out and halted just at the critical moment. He needed to focus more, practice, and refine the details behind the technique. Until then, it wouldn't be usable in battle. "I have been working on something," Sozen admitted. "It isn't ready yet, and it may not be by the time I arrive before Kuroi."

Unknown to Jinbei, Sozen had already set up his plan for facing Kuroi. A contact of Sozen's in the human world was trying to get the Segunda's attention to lure him out into the human world under the guise of some kind of a business deal. In reality, Sozen was going to ambush Kuroi there and defeat him in one on one combat. Then, the Segunda would finally have met his match. "If not a new technique, then what makes you believe that you can take on the man who killed my son?" Jinbei asked harshly. He was giving Sozen criticism for being so brash as to not even complete his new technique before going in there. Sozen knew better, though. He knew that he didn't need it yet.

"I'll win," Sozen told Jinbei confidently. "I didn't the first time, but I have been told that I am quite the fast learner." It was also a small stab at Shade. Shade had also lost to Kuroi, in fact having done so upon first placing as a Soul Reaper and an officer of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. However, Shade hadn't improved enough yet to even consider himself close to being ready for Kuroi. Sozen however was ready. He would actually win. Jinbei opened his mouth, as if about to challenge Sozen's statement, but Sozen blocked him off early on and spoke. "You see, Lord Kawada, I have become much stronger than I was the first time. I am more than ready for him. I guarantee that."

In the present, Sozen went on the offensive. With his charge finished, and the huge technique about to hit him, Sozen suddenly disappeared. He completely vanished, not from Shunpo, but from a different technique. Red Flash, which caused him to teleport instantly. It was not just movement. It was teleportation to that which was red. In this case, it was teleportation to the Segunda Espada, whose skin was leaking red steam and in itself was red. It was a teleportation behind Kuroi, whose attack covered only a radius in front of him. Normally, foes couldn't evade by getting behind Kuroi because steps still took them through the attack trajectory of Muerte Rey Cero. Sozen, however, had teleported.

As Sozen appeared behind Kuroi, his eyes seemed to change. They were not the same hard eyes that had existed throughout the fight. Now, they went soft, and the crimson eyes of the crimson king fell unwavering upon the Segunda Espada, mirroring the same acceptance of fate as in their first battle. It had been at this point in the first battle, when Sozen had against all odds come to himself and recovered from momentary despair, and had accepted his fight and the need to win it without question. These were the same eyes that Kuroi would have seen last time, when Sozen used the technique called Aka No Zecchou, the Red Angel.

"It actually is good to see you, Kuroi..." Sozen said. It was good to see Kuroi, because now, at long last, the tables had turned completely. Okay, it was true. Last time they'd fought, Sozen hadn't had the tools to even try to engage Kuroi once that Primera Etapa had gone up. But now, not only did Sozen have the tools to do it, but Kuroi lacked the tools to fight without going to an even higher stage of his power. Reiatsu built instantly around Sozen after he spoke, and all of this in a split second, even his speaking. Kuroi would not have time to respond, but that wouldn't mean that he didn't know what was about to happen.

"Bankai..." Sozen said, and his reiatsu started to dissipate into the color red, which spread throughout all things in the world. "Akai Birido Seken." For a mile all around Sozen, things such as the ground, the clouds, and others began to turn red. However, that wasn't the worst of it. Sozen had attained a new piece to complete his Bankai since last Kuroi and himself had battled. Last time, the issue had been twofold. First, Silencio Hazo made it very difficult to fight. Second, Grande Podrido made it impossible for Sozen to actually harm Kuroi. But now, in Bankai...Sozen's cutting strength was doubled.

And immediately, Kuroi's folly of creating red mist around himself with Kakucho Cero, and his arrogance of turning his own skin artificially red with it, both came to haunt him. Blades stabbed into Kuroi from everywhere. It wasn't just from the layer of red reiatsu turning his skin a glowing red, though that was where a ton of blades came from to pierce him literally everywhere. In all insides. In all outsides. In his eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and worse. But also blades pierced from the mist around him. Kuroi's entire body was going to be turned into less than mush. Into nothing but deformed, unrecognizable goo contained in a coffin of blades. This was a condition that Sozen referred to as only one thing. The Iron Coffin.

As Muerte Rey Cero faded to leave in its wake the total destruction expected of Kuroi's attacks, and there was steam, gas, and smoke everywhere, Kuroi himself was pierced by something far less destructive. The world may have been destroyed by Kuroi's Cero, but it was Sozen's Bankai that had turned it red like blood. Rather than being vaporized by a high level reiatsu technique as Kuroi had thought Sozen to be attempting, Kuroi was instead penetrated by the very blades he had thought himself immune to. Yes, Soulbind and Shikai had many alternatives for Hierro. But, they were not guaranteed hits. Not in the way that Sozen's Bankai was.

So now, Sozen knew. Short of using the next stage of his power, or of just dying, Kuroi had no options. If anyone was watching, particularly his Fraccion, who should be, then they would gaze in horror at their boss and leader, the Segunda Espada who had always seemed invincible and unmatchable, at last being pressured by an opponent, and finally succumbing to being destroyed and defeated. After all of this time, Kuroi had lost. That was fact. Sozen had been intending to push Kuroi into using whatever he had in storage before Bankai, but instead, had found this opportunity, and seized it. It was all instantaneous. It was all unavoidable. And Sozen had won.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 475/1100 Reiatsu

Bankai Post Count: 1/10

New Reiatsu Strength: 400 + 190 = 590 x 2.5 = 1475

Bankai Cutting Strength: 1475 x 2 = 2950

New Spiritual Pressure: 110

[Zou ۞]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

"Isn't this what I told you would happen?" the leather jacket wearing incarnation of Kuroi asked, as the Segunda Espada found himself once again enclosed in darkness. It was as if he had been frozen in time. He knew exactly what had happened. Blades had penetrated him from everywhere. For that split second, he could even see it. He could see the image of himself beginning to be skewered. And in that moment, his mind had frozen the greatest of all concepts, time itself, and given Kuroi his own extended, eternal world within which to reside. Perhaps, on the other hand, this was death. Perhaps if he chose to ignore it and do nothing, he could simply dwell here forever, with his other selves, and not have to continue through the battle. This was of course never an option, and never once went into consideration. It was simply a possibility which Kuroi acknowledged may exist, and acknowledged only out of curiosity of this phenomenon of frozen time. "The fight has not yet concluded." Kuroi replied stoically to his already stoic, younger self, who in disgust could not even look at the Segunda Espada's current incarnation.

"It may as well be." another incarnation of Kuroi, wearing a neater suit with a purple shirt said. "He has dominated you throughout the entire battle. How pathetic, that you did not realize that not once did you control the pace of things." Kuroi would not even acknowledge this comment. These past incarnations knew nothing. They were inferior, less mature versions of him, who had been weaker than he was now. They had possessed less power, knowledge, and resources, and had learned far less, and experienced not nearly what Kuroi had now. He would acknowledge only that he had made an error, and underestimated Sozen Kuchiki. In the internal blackness of the frozen moment, Kuroi closed his eyes, and banished his other incarnations. They had come to surround him in over a dozen forms, some representing general time periods of all his lives, and others representing certain battles where Kuroi had truly thrived. Be banished them all with his eyes closing, and they dissipated into black smoke around him, in the void within which he floated. Instead, Kuroi focused on creating vivid images in his mind to help steel himself.

"How long has it been since I have felt as if my life was in danger...?" Kuroi asked himself aloud. He recalled seeing the pictures in the news of the nuclear explosions which consumed his home. That had been when he had first come to understand Despair. And it was the first time he realized truly how mortal he was. It was the only time he had ever really felt as if he was not in total control of himself. "Perhaps there is truth to what they say...perhaps my instincts as an Arrancar have gone dull..." Kuroi remembered that, at heart, Arrancar were simply evolved Hollows. He had never liked to associate himself as just another Hollow. It was demeaning. In truth, however, was that not what Kuroi was? He had not felt this alive since fighting against Zouma Santeku. Images of his eternal rival, now deceased at the hands of the Captain he faced, flashed through his mind. "That's what it is." Kuroi realized. He understood. He had forgotten even what it meant to be a Hollow. They did not live simply for power, or control, or even something as complex as dominance or war.

Hollows lived their lives for survival. They lived constantly in fear, in danger of sudden demise, or even of regression. Hollows were predators and prey. They were the ultimate survivalists, and those who more than anything craved battle the most. Kuroi had forgotten that. It had been a very long time since a challenger had been able to push him to these extremes. Certainly, he had released against Adalo out of rage. He had used his powers to defeat many strong adversaries. But, of all the Captains, Espada, and others that Kuroi had faced and defeated, he had never once felt as if any had the potential to actually kill him. They were boring, monotonous kills. He had always been too far above their level to actually gain enjoyment, even if the fight had been slightly difficult. Even in difficult fights, Kuroi won overwhelmingly. Once he got serious, never once had he been dominated. Always, it was Kuroi dominating the fight and setting the tone. For once, while trying, Kuroi had felt someone else set his pace. At long last, an opponent worthy of him had appeared.

So...therefore...

"Engulf the world in darkness, Hora Ultimo."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

There was a huge explosion of reiatsu following that command. There was no telling when the command was first given, but the blades did not make it far enough into Kuroi to fatally injure him. They did stab him, but suddenly were shattered and destroyed, for a huge column of reiatsu annihilated them and flew forth from Kuroi. Sozen, nearby, would be blasted and knocked away hundreds of feet by the sheer power of the reiatsu shockwave emanating from Kuroi. From that shockwave, there was a gargantuan column of reiatsu which reached into the sky and blew away the clouds, leaving only clear blue skies and sunlight. Even in so destroyed an environment, the already worthless ashes and dirt of the ground began to decay even more, and an aura of unsettling tensity settled in the air. Kuroi had just released his ultimate power. As the column began to fade, still there was dust and debris all around Kuroi. He had allowed Kakucho Cero to fade away, having realized that somehow, Sozen had increased penetration power, and that Kakucho Cero had therefore become a hazard rather than benefit.

As it all faded, Kuroi stood there pale as a sheet, with enormous black leather wings like a dragon. He was shirtless, with black fur covering his legs, and clawed hands and feet. His muscular torso shone with sweat, and the slits of his Primera Etapa wrists were now his skin, rather than part of a suit. His hair had become loose fitting and flew everywhere, black and spiked like a lion's mane. His eye whites remained black, but his iris now glowed violet. At long last, Kuroi was unveiling his most powerful self. Plastered onto Kuroi's face, there was actually...a smile. Perhaps even a malevolent smirk. "Ressurection...Segunda Etapa." Kuroi announced, at long last unveiling to the Shinigami that such a thing existed. "This is my ultimate form, which no Shinigami has ever directly faced until now." Sozen Kuchiki was no longer in control of the pace of battle. Both had released to their highest forms, returning it to a neutral state. Now, Kuroi was to make his attack, and see who it was that would capture the pace of their fight. The Black Knight, or the Crimson King.

Silencio Hazo had ended, but Kuroi suddenly blurred forwards with enormous speed. He was not as fast as before, but the wings gave him enhanced speed and maneuvering capabilities because of propulsion, so he received a 50% speed increase. Kuroi's nails extended into sharp, long blades, giving him ten total, five on each hand. It was not unlike what Sozen's Soulbind did. Flying past Sozen, Kuroi slashed viciously with one hand. If this struck, it would actually cut Sozen into multiple pieces of meat. However, that wasn't all. Moving past Sozen, Kuroi spun around, using his aerial ability for quick, easy maneuvering. Sozen himself wouldn't even be able to maneuver nearly that quickly. Kuroi was only successful because of those wings giving him that. This was one of his advantages in Segunda Etapa. The aerial guidance given to him by the wings allowed the already extremely skilled Espada to become even more dangerous in close combat, not to mention that it allowed him actual aerial combat. Sozen was about to be in even more danger as well.

Moving past Sozen, Kuroi's wrist slits opened up as he whirled around, and steam puffed out. "Muerte Cuerdas..." Kuroi said. For this, he pushed Enma Cero in. Though burns began to form on Kuroi's body, Enma Cero was released. However, not in its ordinary form. Instead, it came forth in strings. The death strings. If even a single one of Kuroi's strings struck Sozen, it would slice clean through him and leave him in pieces. And yet, there were hundreds if not thousands of strings flying around everywhere. And, worst of all, Enma Cero would span for eighty meters all around Kuroi. It was literally hundreds of Cero strings capable of cutting and cauterizing, and for eighty meters around. Worst of all, it possessed the same power as Enma Cero itself. In other words, this Cero was invisible, making the strings invisible as well. Not only did it span for eighty meters, but Sozen was faced with hundreds or thousands of enormous, invisible Cero strings, constantly overlapping and forming a cage or a web around Kuroi. Even a step technique might cause Sozen to simply take himself into the path of many strings. Was there even a way to defend against it?

[color=crimson"Forgive me for failing to realize it...You are someone against whom I can go all out...and enjoy the battle..."[/color]

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 2450/2500 Reiatsu [-3800 when Ress. ends]

Ressurection - Segunda Etapa: 1/12

Spiritual Pressure: 250

Reiatsu Strength: 550 (x2.5) = 1375

Hierro Strength: 2750

Kuroi's Speed: 600

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{This song first}

Sozen's eyes went wide as the smoke cleared. Sure, when he had been blasted away, he'd been expecting something huge. But never in his life had he imagined...this. Impossible. It was impossible. There was no way that such a thing could exist. And yet, here it was...clear as day...somber as night...absolute as death. It was before his eyes. If not for what he was seeing, Sozen might have even doubted himself, and what he had heard Kuroi say. If he was not seeing this thing standing before him, he might not have believed the words he heard.

He might not have believed that he had heard Kuroi say "Segunda Etapa." But he had. He had heard Kuroi say it, and immediately fear had gripped his heart and sent icy shivers down his spine. That wasn't even the worst part of it. Sozen had thought it would only be that thing from last time that would attack him. The thing that stripped away reiatsu. Maybe if that was what happened, then Sozen could still defend. If that was the only thing that was happening, then maybe Sozen would have a chance.

But...those were wings. And a new form entirely. Kuroi actually had another form besides the previous one. That hadn't even been Kuroi's strongest form. He'd been holding this one in reserve the entire time. Sozen had not prepared for this. He had not prepared for Kuroi to actually have another form, because there had been no way of knowing that one existed. Reports had talked about another instance, against Enma, where Kuroi had negated reiatsu, but it had not mentioned that another form existed.

What was worse was what it meant. Ressurection...Segunda Etapa. Second stage. It meant it wasn't exclusive to Kuroi. Perhaps not all Arrancar had it, and perhaps not all Espada had it, but it existed. There was such a thing as another stage of the Arrancar release. It had taken Sozen's all just to pressure Kuroi's Primera Etapa. Most Arrancar Ressurections were as powerful as the average Soul Reaper's Bankai. They were equivalent levels of release. Segunda Etapa...meant that it was even more powerful than Bankai.

And besides these, there were a million other thoughts in Sozen's mind. What if there were more stages? Who said that it had to stop at Segunda Etapa? No one had ever known before that one existed. Bankai was the limit to the Soul Reaper's power, many said, but Sozen was going to prove that untrue soon. So, if Sozen could do it, then who was to say that this Segunda Etapa was the limit to an Arrancar's power? What if Kuroi had even more hidden up his sleeve? What if...it really was impossible to win?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this second}

Sozen shook his head. This happened last time. I doubted myself. It was foolish. It was wrong. I did lose our previous battle, but that doesn't matter now. Images started to flash through Sozen's mind. First, he saw the doubt in the eyes of Jinbei Kawada and the Kuchiki Elders. Then he saw the faces of his family, from Iro to Hokori to the adopted ones such as Ana and Kyomei. Then he saw his beautiful beloved, Aoi, and the bulge that made up her pregnancy. Sozen remembered what he had.

He had a lot to lose. And he had a lot to prove. He had to live up to what he had claimed, and live up to his vow to protect his family. Kuroi had threatened that family already before, so why shouldn't Sozen take him down now? It doesn't even matter if he has a Cuarta Espada or a Quinta Etapa or a million stages of power. I came prepared not for a specific release, but for an Espada named Kuroi. I came to defeat the Segunda Espada, and that's what I'm here for. I'll win no matter what.

Sozen was certain that Kuroi was strong. Last time, he'd needed a mental intervention. This time, all he needed was to shake his head and steady himself, because Sozen had gotten more powerful than before too, after all. He had bet his titles on this, and his ranks on this, and his love and family on this. He had put everything on the line just so that he could defeat Kuroi, and he had burned up his reiatsu again and again and again, until he was where he was. And this was not the end.

Sozen shook his head and exhaled, and then he started to drag his feet into a horse stance. He didn't have a sword to hold up, but he had an entire red world surrounding him. The world was his to command. He cleared his thoughts, and focused back on Kuroi. A smile lit up on Kuroi's face, and Sozen lit up to match it with his own beautiful, brilliant smile. He was like a gleaming spark of fire. A glimmering, undying, king. The crimson king, as a matter of fact. As expected of the Esteemed Head of the Noble Kuchiki Family.

"Who knew that you could be this powerful...?" Sozen complimented. "I don't believe it. From Saigo No Houmen to a stage of release even more powerful than the Bankai level. The Espada is full of ridiculous people. You truly are monsters, Kuroi." Sozen was going to give Kuroi proper respect through to the end of the battle, because now was the time when the battle got serious. It was the time when, of course, Sozen won. As expected of the Esteemed Head of the Noble Kuchiki Family.

Suddenly, as Kuroi moved forwards, Sozen smiled and summoned blades from the ground. Not only were they extremely long, but they came in more than a circle around him. Blades did appear in an extremely dense circle around Sozen, reaching three hundred meters into the sky, but that wasn't the only thing that happened. Just as blades rose from the red ground around Sozen to form a circle around him, so too did another, wider circle of blades appear around his original circle, and another one around that.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this third}

All at once, Sozen erected six circles of blades around himself, so that as Kuroi got even a little bit near, six circles of thick blades all with edges facing outwards rose from the ground around Sozen immediately. Kuroi, before he was even in striking range of Sozen, with his claws extended, would suddenly witness blades come out and pierce his claws, snapping them by slicing in. The cutting power of Sozen's Bankai was superior to the cutting power that Kuroi had, and it was easy for the blades to destroy Kuroi's.

Kuroi would be then short five blades, and weaponless in one hand. Sozen smiled knowing this reality, but he suddenly heard something, like a puff of steam. It was actually the same sound he'd heard when Kuroi first used Silencio Hazo. Except that had already ended. Unless Kuroi was planning on using up even more stamina to bring up that dome again, there was something else coming from the wrist slits. Sozen wasn't wrong, either. He felt it as something sliced into his Bankai blades, but was instead sliced in half by them.

Though those Cero strings from Enma Cero were vicious, Sozen's blades had the superior power, so it was the strings that were cut instead. Sozen could not actually see the strings, but he could tell that something was hitting his outermost layer of blades, and failing. Sozen's defense in this case was absolute. Neither Kuroi's slashing maneuvers nor his Enma Cero Muerte Cuerdas combination could penetrate Sozen's defensive walls. The Kuchiki Captain smiled.

This fight had gotten fun. In truth, it was similar to Sozen's cruel streak when he tortured evildoers. It was the same as when he was entertaining himself with sick, sadistic pleasures like that. Even though his everything was on the line, including his life, and this battle was a serious one of rivalry and morality, Sozen found himself having fun. He hadn't enjoyed battle this much in many years, if in fact he had ever enjoyed a fight this much in his life. Maybe he hadn't ever enjoyed one this way before.

When Kuroi's attacks all failed to Sozen's blades, Sozen did not immediately lower his defenses either. He knew that to do so would leave him vulnerable. More vulnerable than before. He didn't want to leave himself open to another sudden attack from Kuroi. At last, Sozen's full speed was back, and he had seen that even with Kuroi's boost from those wings, he was faster than the Segunda Espada. No, Sozen wasn't going to immediately drop his defense.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this fourth}

"Now, RISE!" Sozen commanded as he held both of his arms aloft. Around his six circles of blades, more and more blades rose from the ground, but not in a circle. Waves and waves of blades everywhere, simultaneously, from the ground all within Sozen's entire one mile radius of attack. All of the blades were three hundred meters into the sky, and it didn't matter either if Kuroi tried to dodge them by flying up, because they rose so high so easily, and kept climbing higher and higher after forming.

And it didn't matter if Kuroi used Sonido or something to get out of the radius of Sozen's attack. There were so many blades all at once, faster than Kuroi's Sonido, that even by moving away like that, Kuroi wasn't going to get away on time. If he had a defense, now would be the time, because he wasn't dodging. He was going to get hit if he tried to dodge as his escape method. The blades were too vast and numerous. Even if he used Sonido, he would get skewered on the way. Steps were steps. They weren't like Sozen's teleportation.

And that wasn't the end of Sozen's attack, either. Sozen had more to his attack than that. In Bankai, Sozen's blades were red already too. Blades began to appear out of the ends of other blades. From the ends of Sozen's red blades, there formed more blades. And not just the ends. The edges and flats of the blades at the very border of his red world. So that above and all around in all directions except down, the blades that formed even went so far as to erect outside of Sozen's red world jurisdiction.

It effectively massively increased the actual range of Sozen's attack, to the point where even if he DID make it out of the blade field, Kuroi would probably still be impaled. There was no way that his Sonido could carry him so far so quickly as to get away from these blades. He was almost certainly doomed to be skewered if he tried to dodge. Sozen was using up a lot of his stamina here, but it was worth it. To create a field like this burned up a great deal of stamina, and he was already starting to tire greatly.

Actually, Sozen was already extremely tired from all of the exertion so far. That was another reason not to use Bankai. Not only did most opponents never earn it, and not only did he want to save it for special occasions, but it was extremely tiring too. Sozen felt that he was a little bit rusty and out of shape with it, too, from having spent so long without using it. Well, he figured Kuroi, who was so strong, but rarely use that Segunda Etapa too, and must be very rusty with it.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this last}

After the attack, Sozen retracted any blades he had left, except for two circles around himself. With an exhale, he lowered his arms, and panting, removed the blades and let them slip back into the ground. It was very costly to actually form all of them. Even moreso to maintain them. Instead, Sozen let them sink back down, so that he could fall to one knee inside of his circle and catch his breath. What happened next would probably determine who it was that was going to win the battle.

On one knee and panting, Sozen grinned. Even his grin was the most beautiful of all smiles in Soul Society, but in battle of course that didn't matter. Sozen looked down at his hands, both of which had deep bloody gashes across them. He wondered when he had gotten those, and then looked around himself. His blades kept him safe for now, but Kuroi could probably come up with more attacks to fish Sozen out. After that, with both of them exhausted, the final moments of combat would begin.

Sozen knew that soon, he and Kuroi would be locked together once more in head on melee combat. His Bankai had bought him some time to recover his physical strength, but all of this was still taking its toll on him, and he only had so long left to fight. It was a miracle that Sozen's power hadn't already expired on him. He still had some reiatsu, but barely, and still had some stamina, but barely. Thinking about it, Sozen knew Kuroi had saved up more than he had. It made sense. Sozen had to expend more to fight on the same level.

Sozen swallowed hard, and realized for a moment how wet his hair and his face were. He was drenched in sweat. How unsightly. I wonder...Is this as far as I go? I'm safe here for now, but now my view is blocked. I don't know where Kuroi is, but I know that he isn't dead yet. I didn't feel a clean hit from that last attack. I'm certain that I missed it. So, in that case, I still have to keep fighting. But...I can feel the soreness in my body...and I can feel that I'm at my limit...

Surely, Kuroi must be nearing his limit as well. It couldn't just be Sozen. How could it be? Kuroi would have to pull out some pretty wild things to do it, too. Besides, recap. Kuroi had already used Enma Cero twice, plus Muerte Rey Cero, plus other moves such as Silencio Hazo, Grande Podrido, and the release of a Segunda Etapa. Kuroi most likely wasn't going to be feeling too good either around now. That settles it...I'm going to give it my all now...At best, this fight can only go for...three more exchanges...I have to stake it all on that.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 475/1100 Reiatsu

Bankai Post Count: 2/10

Bankai Cutting Strength: 1475 x 2 = 2950

[Zou ۞]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

As he whirled around, Kuroi noted that Sozen was beginning to unleash blades from the ground. How arrogant...and ridiculous... Kuroi thought to himself. It was impossible for something as mortal as these mere blades to actually strike Kuroi if all that Sozen could do was expand them. Kuroi was almost offended that Sozen had thought so simple a tactic would be effective. Then, Kuroi realized why. Sozen, despite his skills, was inferior in terms of destructive ability. Whilst having fun with the fight, Kuroi had forgotten that his opponent was not as powerful as he was, and had only been extremely skilled. Smiling because the fight was fun, Kuroi spoke to Sozen, and simultaneously exploded upwards to attempt to escape the blades with Sonido and his wings enhancing his speed. The rising action allowed Kuroi to evade just long enough to counter.

"I see..." Kuroi said. "You have never truly experienced what it means to unleash a devastating attack..." The black stars began to glow on Kuroi's chest, and his eyes also glowed a menacing, solid black. Reiatsu exploded around Kuroi's body, and he spoke down to Sozen once again. "In that case..." Kuroi concluded. "Allow me to show you what it means to unleash a truly devastating attack. Muerte Rey Cero..." Once again, an enormous blast of black reiatsu in the shape of a serpentine dragon flowed out of Kuroi's chest. It had glowing eyes, and was larger than a skyscraper. As soon as it exploded, the devastating blast of the monstrosity that Kuroi had unleashed would annihilate nearly all of the incoming blades. Sozen himself might be saved because of his circle, and the blast might not even have the range to reach Sozen at that angle, but this was Kuroi's intention.

Kuroi planned to have Sozen understand Despair, and Muerte Rey Cero was not enough for that. All of the blades were annihilated and turned to ash, except for two of Sozen's circles of blades around him. Kuroi still smiled, however. Indeed, Kuroi was tired. He was beginning to quickly exhaust himself. Indeed, he did not have much time for combat left. Therefore, after countering Sozen's attack, it was time to go all out. From then on, Kuroi decided, he would hold back absolutely nothing at all. Sozen thought himself safe behind those blades, but he was wrong. Kuroi had attacks which even still were more powerful than what he had already launched thus far, and Sozen was about to discover this. Hovering in the air after destroying all incoming blades, Kuroi looked down at Sozen and smiled coldly.

"If you believed that Muerte Rey Cero was my most powerful technique, then you were mistaken..." Kuroi said. "Now...experience my greatest Cero." Kuroi's face began to glow with an ice blue crescent moon tattoo, and ice blue reiatsu started to emanate from around his body, taking a form like fire. As he aimed down with his left hand, three ice blue cubes of reiatsu formed, each the size of a basketball, and began to spin. The aura around him changed. This was the most powerful Cero ever to exist, and it was Kuroi's to use. The atmosphere had completely changed from a moment before. If Sozen were to experience any sort of fear, now would be the time to do so. Kuroi looked down at his foolish opponent, and then spoke once more. "Sozen Kuchiki, behold..." Kuroi said to Sozen. "The ultimate Cero. Muerte Lanzar."

Suddenly, a huge ice blue blast of reiatsu twice the size of Muerte Rey Cero, meaning now larger than two skyscrapers, descended from Kuroi's hand toward the ground. It was as if a light from Heaven had descended from the sky, which lit up with an ice blue hue, an enormous aurora. And, high up in the sky, an enormous crimson crescent moon shape formed as well. Kuroi looked down at Sozen as the technique descended, moving at Kuroi's maximum possible Sonido speed. (7800 speed) It hurtled down at Sozen from up above. He had very little time to get away from it, especially at that speed. However, if he attacked it, he would find it unblockable. Any and all things which got in the way of Muerte Lanzar were incinerated into less than ash in a split second, and nothing could block it. It was the unblockable technique.

As it struck the ground, the explosion erupted forth into a blast size larger than the Abraj Al Bait Towers as it had once been described in size. In other words, this attack carried for miles, and was the size of a small city. Therefore, once the explosion actually hit, there was no way to get out of there. It was impossible to dodge with any sort of ordinary movement. Any dodging must happen before it struck the ground. However, any blocking was impossible in all ways. There was no way to guard against the technique. In other words, Sozen faced an enormous Cero which might very well be both unblockable and impossible to dodge. It was the perfect attack. The strongest Cero in existence, and probably the strongest single spell style technique that Sozen would ever witness. That was Muerte Lanzar.

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 1850/2500 Reiatsu [-6000 when Ress. ends]

Ressurection - Segunda Etapa: 2/12

Spiritual Pressure: 250

Reiatsu Strength: 550 (x2.5) = 1375

Hierro Strength: 2750

Kuroi's Speed: 600

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this first!}

Sozen's eyes were wide as he realized just how many of his blades had been completely destroyed. His remaining circles lowered as he stared around in disbelief at the pure destruction. Kuroi could fire those attacks more than once? Does he truly have no limits? This is far beyond what even I knew of him. He's strong...And we've kept sending Captain after Captain to deal with him, and fail...Is this the power you gain from fighting so many Captains, or was he always this powerful? It was inconceivable.

One after another, Kuroi continued unleashing those massive Cero attacks, from the invisible to whatever Sozen's blade circles had blocked, to two Muerte Rey Cero. They just kept coming. At this point, Sozen was beginning to wonder if Kuroi's stamina reserves were infinite. The Espada couldn't seriously have this much power left, could he? Actually, yes. Yes he could, Sozen realized. Because he understood how Kuroi compensated. Looking at Kuroi, whose upper body was now exposed, Sozen saw countless burns that he had not inflicted upon the Segunda.

If Sozen hadn't been the cause of the wound, then any wound that Kuroi was bearing was either from a previous battle, which was unlikely, or from the Segunda's own drawbacks. Looking at how scarred Kuroi's body had become, Sozen was sure of it now. The way Kuroi reduced the stamina drawback of his techniques was by incurring some sort of backlash. Those burns were proof of that. And there were a lot of burns. They were beginning to heal a little bit because of high speed regeneration, which helped Kuroi mitigate his drawbacks even more, but some of the burns were very, very slow.

Some could not be healed properly. Considering the size and scope of some of those attacks, Sozen wasn't surprised that high speed regeneration took far longer than usual to be effective. Sozen wondered for a moment if there were any other Espada who had those techniques as well. As far as he had read up on Kuroi, the teal haired one from earlier, Asuka, was a former Fraccion of the Segunda's, but had since been recognized in Las Noches as an Espada. If she was a protege of the Segunda, could she also use Muerte Rey Cero, or was it Kuroi-exclusive?

An image of Onuya Kuchiki flashed through Sozen's mind. What would my brother have done? Could he have made it this far? Sozen was more powerful than his brother had been. It was possible that his brother would never even have made it to the Segunda Etapa stage without being killed. In that case, who else could get this far? Okusa Shogen perhaps? Enma? Or was Sozen the strongest Captain that there was? That couldn't be good. Sozen could barely hold his own against Kuroi. If Sozen was strongest, they were in trouble.

But, Sozen realized that it didn't even matter. Why should it even matter? Sozen, if not the strongest, still had a tremendous amount of skill. That skill was all it would take for him to defeat more powerful opponents. It was that skill which allowed him to grow in strength as well, and reach greater heights. Sozen was working on that. After he was finished against Kuroi, Sozen would soar and become far more powerful than ever before. It was inevitable for him to continue to rise.

SPOILER: Click to show

{You'll like this track}

"Are you...struggling?" Sozen stopped cold. What was that voice? He heard it in his mind, and he recognized it too. It was all too familiar. But he wasn't sure of it...What was this voice that was speaking to him? Could it be that Sozen was just hallucinating from exhaustion? Auditory hallucinations weren't typically associated with exhaustion, but he had known them to happen to others. This was the first time that Sozen himself had experienced such an auditory hallucination.

Who...are you? Sozen asked in his mind, but he received no answer. A few more moments passed, and outside, it was like the moment froze completely. Sozen didn't know what was going on inside of his mind. He only knew that he had been given a moment of confusion. Is anyone there? Sozen asked his mind. He knew that it wasn't an inner Hollow, which would be the first thought of most to whom he described the symptoms. Soulbind could only be used by absolute synchronization, which was impossible with an inner hollow.

So....what was it? Sozen wasn't sure. He suddenly had an image in his mind of a face, gaunt, handsome, and fair skinned. The face had a long smile, but he couldn't see above the smile. He couldn't see the eyes or nose or ears or hair. So he didn't know exactly who the smile belonged to. Again, the face looked familiar, but he didn't remember exactly who it was. If he saw the whole face, he would know, but it was possible that he wouldn't know the name of the person, only the face.

Sozen was at a loss. Who was this? What was this? Actually, it didn't even matter. At this point, Sozen didn't even care who the face was. He looked up, and saw Kuroi high in the sky, talking down to him, and aiming another Cero. Something about true power, though Kuroi was high and it was difficult to hear him. Something about the ultimate Cero. And suddenly, Sozen's blood turned into ice, and he was ice cold and collected. As far as athletics went, Sozen was in the zone.

He was enjoying the fight too much to care, and he soon put it out of his mind It doesn't matter...I'm enjoying this battle far too much to care... The Espada truly was full of monsters. And Kuroi was one of them. Sozen hadn't felt this much thrill or danger in a long time. This battle was pushing him to his limits. Soon, he would be out of reiatsu and stamina both. But, that would be at the very end of the fight, when Kuroi was defeated. Sozen lowered his head and smiled as Kuroi's Muerte Lanzar approached.

Now play this as I attack

It was huge! The gigantic ice blue attack was even larger than Muerte Rey Cero. "My..." Sozen mockingly said as a smile fell upon his lips. "That truly is an enormous Cero. I am impressed." It was fast, too. But it wasn't as fast as Sozen, nor was it large enough to catch Sozen. Kuroi had come underprepared, and used up his trump card attack all too early. It was not only possible for Sozen to dodge it, but it was fairly simple for him to do so as well. Kuroi had made a mistake.

With his blades already retracted, Sozen could do it. A mile up in the sky, for his red world extended to a mile all around him, the clouds had also turned red. The ground beneath him had also turned red. So, in an instant, Sozen used Aka No Isou, his Red Transport. Immediately, Sozen sank into the ground, and disappeared into the red ground. His disappearance was fast, and happened before the technique that Kuroi had called Muerte Lanzar could even touch the ground to explode.

Sure, it rose high up, but not high enough. Sozen emerged from a cloud nearly half a mile up in the sky, above the total (0.4) miles that the actual Cero could cover in height. That was the one weakness to the technique. Height, assuming the opponent could teleport, which Sozen could. He disappeared into the ground and emerged instantaneously from a red cloud, and the technique exploded underneath as Sozen emerged, lighting up himself in the sky's newfound ice blue glow, and lighting his eyes with the crimson of the crescent moon.

Sozen was not terribly high above Kuroi, but had enough of a height advantage to prepare an attack while he was on his way down. Descending at great speed toward Kuroi, Sozen was preparing an attack already. As expected of the Esteemed Head of the Noble Kuchiki Family, not only had he come out of Kuroi's greatest projectile totally unharmed, but he was unfazed by it, and, if anything, more motivated, more so than ever, to defeat Kuroi, evidenced by his readiness of an attack already.

"I'm coming for you, Kuroi," Sozen said. Blades emerged out of his hands, where the blood had been left from Sozen cutting his hands far earlier in the fight. With blood on his hands, Sozen was able to create a single long blade (four meters long) in each hand. He spun as he descended, coming down on Kuroi. The blades which had come out of Sozen's palms were also red. They looked ready to slice up Kuroi, but this was also all part of Sozen's plan. He had a grand scheme for attacking.

All of a sudden, Sozen's right blade retracted back into his hand. It had looked like he was going to use it, but suddenly he didn't. However, it would soon see some use anyways. Sozen knew how to make it useful and he knew how to make it hurt for the Segunda Espada. As soon as Sozen's blade retracted, he suddenly disappeared into his left hand blade, re-emerging from another place with both blades extending back out of his hands. He had needed to retract blades first before he could use Aka No Isou again.

Suddenly, Sozen retreated back into his blade with Aka No Isou, leaving the left hand blade behind and floating in the sky next to Kuroi. Sozen had suddenly and instantly disappeared into his own blade and left nothing behind. But, Aka No Isou required Sozen to emerge instantaneously. That was a weakness of the technique, though not one that Kuroi would be able to take advantage of in this moment, when Sozen's attack was going at full heave. This attack had all been a feint.

Sozen emerged out of one of the less severe burns on Kuroi's body, which was a deep red at that point. It was a burn along Kuroi's shoulder, only first degree, incurred as drawback from one of Kuroi's previous techniques. The feint was to distract Kuroi, and suddenly Sozen appeared from out of one of Kuroi's very drawback wounds. Kuroi would be surprised, and his reaction time would be delayed when Sozen came to give his attack at last. Kuroi's seconds were numbered.

Red blades emerged into Kuroi's body following Sozen's exit from the red wound. They all penetrated into Kuroi's shoulder, the right side, to destroy his main arm, and then close in toward his organs. While Kuroi had to deal with that, Sozen himself prepared an attack of his own for Kuroi. Emerging forth and out, Sozen stabbed forwards with his blade at Kuroi's eyes. This was with his right. From his left, a new blade grew, and with this one he did nothing, leaving it open in case guarding was needed.

However, it would be hard to dodge this. Sozen appeared at one of the worst possible times. He appeared while Kuroi was suffering the horrendous drawback from using Muerte Lanzar, and was momentarily paralyzed and easy to put in shock. With Sozen's sudden attack, and emergence from Kuroi's wound, followed by blades doing it, Kuroi would be extremely surprised and mentally broken at his failure. This allowed Sozen to attack and maybe land a proper hit. Kuroi was good, but Sozen was better.

Because of Kuroi's current shocked state and perhaps temporary paralysis, Sozen would be able to score a hit which normally would not work. However, it would be a hit that mattered. Appearing from Kuroi's wound as the blades stabbed into Kuroi and drew more blood from which more blades erupted to head for Kuroi, Sozen himself twisted on his foot, making a pivot as he launched his blade at Kuroi, stabbing for the Segunda's eyes. Even while Sozen stabbed forwards, the blade on his right was extending and growing longer.

It would be difficult for Kuroi to do anything. Not only was there a drawback for using Muerte Lanzar, but there was also shock from suddenly being stabbed, and from the unexpected event of Sozen emerging from Kuroi's wound. And, on top of all of that, Kuroi had to be extremely tired. Sozen was also extremely tired, but Kuroi had just used Muerte Lanzar, after having already used so many other high level Cero. Sozen had burned a lot of reiatsu, but not on Kuroi's level. Kuroi was surely exhausted.

"I can't say that I have ever quite enjoyed a battle this much," Sozen admitted to Kuroi. "It almost makes me sympathize with Okusa Shogen, and wonder why I have not challenged Arrancar and Espada more often." Let the gloating begin. The more that Sozen gloated, the angrier and more irritated that Kuroi would get, resulting in mistakes and allowing Sozen to land hits. Everyone else had forgotten about psychological warfare, which was a very good option in many cases.

Sozen had a huge smile on his face too. He saw Kuroi grinning, so he also smiled. For a brief moment, just a flickering flash so quick that most people wouldn't have noticed it, one could have sworn that momentarily, Sozen's eyes flashed bright yellow. Others could have sworn that they were gray. Others that they were so narrow that they were slits, or Brock from Pokemon. But Sozen wasn't incurring any special technique from doing that. It was just the Squad 6 Captain enjoying a good fight.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 475/1100 Reiatsu

Bankai Post Count: 3/10

Bankai Cutting Strength: 1475 x 2 = 2950

[Zou ۞]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

In the clouds! Kuroi noted. While most opponents should have found it impossible to defend against Muerte Lanzar, Kuroi had known well in advance that Sozen would be able to. This was the fight that Kuroi had been looking forward to for so long. It was the first time he could truly flex his strength since Zouma Santeku. It was against the man that had killed Kuroi's ultimate rival, Zouma Santeku. It would not have been entertaining otherwise, had Sozen been unable to defend against Muerte Lanzar. It would have been a disappointment. As Kuroi saw Sozen appear in the clouds above him, out of range of Muerte Lanzar, he couldn't help but smile all the more widely. At long last, for the first time in perhaps decades, a smile of true happiness found Kuroi's face. How could he not be happy? At last, a true test of his power. An enemy worthy of the Segunda.

But then, as Sozen approached at high speed, preparing blades, something peculiar happened. Sozen suddenly disappeared into his own blade! Kuroi's mind started instantly racing at the speed of a computer. He was a fast thinker. Kuroi's unparalleled ability to analyze the situation was part of what made him so difficult to fight. Oftentimes, opponents would find themselves comparing Kuroi to a machine. It was like being a rag doll but fighting a machine. Kuroi's strategic brilliance and ability to automatically answer moves at every turn was what made him seem to most opponents as if he was unbeatable, and utterly insurmountable. However, Kuroi was neither of these things. He was simply extremely skilled, and extremely powerful, and proficient in his use of all the weapons in his arsenal.

Kuroi's mind raced further. Sozen had disappeared earlier not just once. Earlier, he had done the same thing, disappearing to something red. It was obvious, based on the already existing knowledge that Sozen manipulated red by causing blades to come out of it, that Sozen was using a technique which allowed him to teleport to things that were red. That was basic analysis. What was strange was that Sozen had left a red blade behind and disappeared into it. The blade was still there, floating, but Sozen was not. And in that split second, Kuroi figured out where his foe would emerge from. It had to be from something else red. Or maybe he would appear next to it. Either way, if it was red, it was a possible Sozen target. The nearest things were clouds, fires below, and probably scattered bits of Sozen's Shikai scabbard, or other things.

However, Kuroi recalled earlier how he had failed to notice Sozen's red dust on himself, resulting in the injuries which had required that he release. So, Kuroi looked down at himself at once, and in horror, understood. His wounds. His burns from Muerte Lanzar were red. It did not even take a full look. It took only a glance, and then in the moment after Kuroi's split second of analysis, wherein he had evaluated the situation, come to the obvious conclusion to check his body, and then checked his own body, he saw it happen. Sozen Kuchiki was instantly forming. He was actually materializing disproportionately out of Kuroi's wound, and ballooning into existence before the Segunda's very eyes. Sozen had just used Kuroi's own drawback completely against him. And this meant a real attack was coming. Kuroi needed to defend.

And, in fact, Kuroi didn't even move at first. The drawback was terrible. Instead, his wrist slits puffed out steam, and suddenly what appeared to be a shimmering, liquid silver formed all around them, so that to Sozen this would be his sky. It was a fast formation, and fast enough that as Sozen approached, his red world would already be dissipating from around them, and the blades that began to emerge from Kuroi to attempt to stab him would also dissipate, as would the blades on Sozen's hands. It was so that by the time Sozen reached Kuroi, the power known as Cesar Del Vida would have taken effect, and Sozen would be left with no weapons, lunging at an opponent who still had blades, wings, and more. While the ground could be seen, so too could the wide borders of the dome of Kuroi's ultimate technique.

"Of course, no matter how much you have improved, I will still win in the end. Cesar Del Vida." Kuroi told Sozen as the latter approached him, weaponless, and vulnerable. In an instant, Kuroi skyrocketed past Sozen, using his wings to create small air currents to offbalance Sozen should the Kuchiki Head attempt to move. Kuroi's blades dug past Sozen, attempting to cut him into several pieces if he failed to defend in some way. As Kuroi arrived behind Sozen, he released yet another attack, with his remaining bladed arm alone. The five blades that were Kuroi's nails were all black metal, and using them, he created what appeared to be a twister around Sozen. It was a twister of black fire. Using his incredible speed, Kuroi attacked with a Hell style. "Jigoku No Bijutsu: Ichinen No Sodofomu - Ikari En." Kuroi said.

Following this attack, which would turn Sozen to dust if he was hit, or would turn to dust any part of his body struck, Kuroi blurred past Sozen again, disappearing to appear diagonal to Sozen's left. In that time span, it became apparent that Kuroi had summoned to his free, non-bladed hand a black cylindric hilt with a black metal blade attached to it. And, as Kuroi appeared to Sozen's side, he seemed to have already, using his intense mastery of the technique, charged a large, blood red Cero. Instantly, the Cero fired. It was larger than the building for an apartment complex, and fired at nearly point blank range, from only a few feet away. If Sozen was engulfed in this, he would die and be turned to ashes. The battle was coming to a close. And Kuroi would soon be the winner of their fight.


Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 1/2500 Reiatsu [-6200 when Ress. ends]

Ressurection - Segunda Etapa: 3/12

Spiritual Pressure: 250

Reiatsu Strength: 550 (x2.5) = 1375

Hierro Strength: 2750

Kuroi's Speed: 600

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Continuing with your song first}

Sozen had known what would happen. He had known already what Kuroi could do. He had analyzed it. Yes, now he knew the name of the technique as well. Kuroi's ability which had seemingly turned the sky silver previously had all but erased Sozen's Aka No Zecchou. Short of a negation power, there was no way. It was most likely that Kuroi had the ability to shut down an opponent's reiatsu abilities. A dangerous power. Sozen had expected this, though. He had known that Kuroi was going to be pressured into it.

Now, as Sozen moved forwards, he watched as his red world around him started to vanish, and as his Bankai shut off. He saw his blades vanish completely from his hands, and realized that his powers had already been all but negated. Kuroi, on the other hand, seemed to have gained a moment to recover, since he had not been stabbed as well as Sozen had hoped, and batted his wings. Winds flashed over Sozen from Kuroi, and the Segunda suddenly moved in a quick blur, trying to take down Sozen.

Cesar Del Vida...Huh? Sozen thought as Kuroi moved toward him. Those wings created harsh, powerful winds which would have completely taken Sozen's balance, had it not been for the Kuchiki Head's mastery not just of swordplay, but of some Hakuda. From his experience in both, he knew how to take a firm horse stance. As soon as he saw his attacks begin to fail, Sozen was able to simply plant himself and center his core, with his feet shoulder width apart.

Winds couldn't knock him over in that case. Sozen then reached out, his fingers extended. Kuroi could attack, but so could Sozen. The problem Kuroi was having was that Sozen's Bankai being sealed meant that his Zanpakuto was returning to a sealed state, and so as the red world was drained away, Sozen's outstretched right hand grabbed his Zanpakuto sword, which formed back in the air, and with his left he grabbed the sheathe and attached it at the end of his sword hilt, creating a sort of longer grip area, like a naginata.

Then, with his sword, and a cutting power still marginally superior to Kuroi's, Sozen spun his weapon around as Kuroi came to strike. The spinning, staff-like form of it blocked Kuroi's slash attack and deflected all five blades to the side. Three of the blades, which were struck by Sozen's own blade, would be cracked very deeply and severely because of the differences in their cutting strength. If they clashed too much, they would break, and Sozen would be able to sever Kuroi's blades from that hand as well.

Sozen turned around, pivoting on his foot as Kuroi made it behind him. There it was. Another Hell style sword strike. Kuroi wasn't holding anything back at all now. That attack was also going to be very aggressive, but Sozen knew that it made no difference. The problem was that even if it was smooth, that Hell style only worked if an opponent was slower, and had harder time keeping up with the blades. Kuroi was slower than Sozen, and so Sozen was better able to counter this attack.

The dynamic behind Kuroi's technique was actually surprisingly simple. Used by an opponent of even slightly inferior speed, suddenly it became overwhelming, and nearly impossible to defend against. Kuroi, when enhanced by Kakucho Cero or those wings, was faster than the average by a huge margin. It stood to reason that many opponents must have fallen to that blade attack. But, attack an opponent of superior speed and similar sword skill, and the attack suddenly lost its value.

Sozen spun his blade with scabbard around like a staff again, this time directing it all around his body to defend himself. It wasn't just a catch-all defense, though. It was actually planned. Sozen used his trained eye and good accuracy to move it around, and intercept some of the blades. The scabbard managed to deflect a couple, but the same three that earlier had been damaged met with Sozen's blade once again, causing even more damage, and even more cracking. This wasn't good for Kuroi.

Because of his superior speed, Sozen was able to time his defense perfectly to defend against most of it, though the harsh nature of the attack left its mark in the form of several large cuts on Sozen's arms, cheek, and torso, all of which drew blood. They weren't dust reducing hits, because he was good about his deflections, but otherwise he still couldn't get out unscathed. However, because of now using his maximum speed and thus having that superiority over Kuroi, Sozen was able to defend.

And, once again, as Kuroi's blades were blocked, this time the damage was too much, and all of them snapped in half. Sozen actually cleanly and completely severed three of them, while two others were reduced to mere half blades. This made it much easier to defend, and Sozen, spinning his weapons, was given a brief opening in the twister, and was able to actually escape to several yards away with a quick step, and back off of Kuroi completely. The Segunda, however, was not yet done.

Sozen could see Kuroi suddenly stop his attack, and so the Kuchiki Head tensed up. Then, as Kuroi's wings moved the Segunda past Sozen again, Sozen turned around to face Kuroi, only to find the Segunda at his diagonal left. Sozen had no illusions about the kind of danger he was in by fighting Kuroi, though. And, worst of all, he saw that something was coming, too. Not only did Kuroi now have yet another sword in his left hand, but there was something on the tip of it.

It was a red orb, growing in size. Cero?! Impossible! This dome was a negation zone, wasn't it? He shouldn't be able to use reiatsu here! But he was. And Sozen did not know how or why. Did Kuroi's dome only negate an opponent's reiatsu? If so, that was tremendously powerful, but there was no way a technique like that existed without a harsher drawback than Sozen was witnessing. In that case, was there some secret to using reiatsu which Sozen didn't know about?

Then again, if Kuroi's dome didn't negate the Segunda's reiatsu, it would have been a simple matter to use another technique such as Muerte Rey Cero, or perhaps another Muerte Lanzar. Without his own ability to use reiatsu, Sozen would have been unable to defend, and would have been killed. Unless Kuroi wasn't really trying to kill him, which Sozen doubted, then Kuroi had some limits on his reiatsu use too. Maybe he could only use basic techniques. There was no telling with this.

But, enough! He couldn't afford to take any time to think. This all happened in his mind in a split second, but any further thought would take more time which Sozen simply did not have. He just knew on instinct that he couldn't afford to get hit by that Cero. He would die. Actually, Sozen couldn't even afford to let that thing fire, because it would be extremely difficult for him to dodge it if he did. And Sozen really didn't want to be killed by Kuroi today.

Okay, time to defend, then. Sozen had an advantage which Kuroi did not. Hakuda. So, using Hakuda, Sozen defended. Still spinning his weapon with sheathe attached, using it sort of like a staff or maybe a naginata, suddenly, he disappeared in a blur of speed, taking two steps which brought him behind the Segunda Espada, still spinning his weapon, facing Kuroi. Sozen tipped the scabbard butt end slightly so it would harshly bump Kuroi's charging elbow and knock it upward just briefly.

Sozen used his incredible speed, still surpassing Kuroi's, to accomplish this. And, what was more, Sozen had another advantage. He had used Hakuda. More specifically, he had used the technique called Shukuchi-Ho, and this was what allowed him to suddenly disappear for two steps with three times his normal speed (thus 2100 speed), for no reiatsu cost, and to appear behind Kuroi or in Kuroi's guard. In this case, he had arrived behind Kuroi. Getting that deep into the Segunda's guard might be dangerous.

However, as a result of this move, Kuroi's arm, knocked upwards, would be unable to redirect and change targets. Instead, it would fire forwards, as intended, but also up slightly in the air too. So, Kuroi would probably have missed if Sozen had stayed up front, but now with Sozen out back, Kuroi was more or less guaranteed to miss with that Cero. For the moment, Sozen had succeeded in defending himself and then in keeping himself alive against the Segunda Espada. Congratulations ought to be in order. Maybe a party later. Well, maybe the party could wait until after the battle.

With Kuroi's Cero firing upwards in some direction away from Sozen, and having missed, Sozen was given the option afterward to attack. Defending against the Segunda's strikes had been difficult, but they were manageable as long as Sozen kept his cool. Now that he knew to watch out for Cero, he would be able to defend next time without the need for Shukuchi-Ho. As useful as it was, he wanted to save it. He was getting tired. At this point, no matter who won, they were both going to collapse soon anyway.

Stop music.

There was a moment of slow motion, during which time Sozen's eyes met with Kuroi's. It was immediately after knocking away Kuroi's arm, and it was as the Cero was firing in the wrong direction. It wasn't a pause. It was simply the sort of slow motion that warriors who are highly experienced and skilled undergo when fighting others of the same caliber, where their eyes meet while they exchange blows, and they come to better understand one another as people. And during this slow motion, Sozen attacked.

My turn, he thought.

SPOILER: Click to show

{And now we spice it up with my track}

Sozen's spinning weapon suddenly reversed direction, and he spun it the other way, causing his blade to actually move into Kuroi's arm that had been caught by his weapon. With this spinning weapon, the blade would cut cleanly into Kuroi's arm. It would be difficult to defend, even if Kuroi tried to bat Sozen away with his wings. After all, Kuroi had just finished moving his wings, hence getting to his current location, and step techniques were not even an option, not to mention Sozen was faster than Kuroi, and fresh out of a fast movement.

Kuroi was also in the middle of firing an attack, and had finished a slash too, though having lost his blades in the process. Therefore, his arms were not free. Maybe he had legs, but even with his expertise of battle, how well could he actually multitask under the current circumstances? Sozen's speed advantage was something to fear while they were both limited in their reiatsu based powers. As long as Sozen had some stamina to spare and his full speed, his Hakuda would be sufficient to fight.

Therefore, with this attack, Kuroi's entire left arm should have been severed, taking away from him as well his only remaining blade, the one that was held in his hand. That was Sozen's plan all along. To remove Kuroi's weapons. Or, in other words, to dis-arm him. See that? Punny. Sozen's spinning maneuver with his weapon didn't take long, and actually since it only used his arms and no other part of his body, he was still free to move after that to attack Kuroi further. And he would attack further.

Suddenly, Sozen blurred using his maximum speed, and jumped high into the air, dragging his blade across where Kuroi's wings might be. If Kuroi wasn't careful, then he would lose his left wing in the process, and that would be severed. Sozen was planning multiple steps ahead, though. One of the farther steps ahead told him that he only needed to last a short while inside of this dome, and Kuroi would make a mistake. He had caused too much trouble to the Segunda already. Things were already too dangerous.

On his way up, Sozen flipped, so that he would get higher air and further escape retaliation. He knew that Kuroi would regain that lost arm anyway, if the attack succeeded, because of high speed regeneration, so Sozen knew he only had a few seconds where Kuroi was more vulnerable than before. The same was true of that wing, if it was lost. If Kuroi lost either of these body parts, he could easily regenerate them. Sozen needed to capitalize on his opportunity to strike.

It was good that Sozen had expertise in blade mechanics. His ability to spin his scabbard-sword mix like a naginata had really helped him in combat so far. It wasn't something he often tried, but come on. Hey, he was a little desperate too. Just because he was in control of the fight, it didn't mean that he wasn't aware that Kuroi was putting a heavy toll on his ability to fight. But, he didn't want Kuroi to think that it was just swordplay here...Sozen was inferior in that regard. Sozen's victory would be because of Hakuda.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 475/1100 Reiatsu

[Zou ۞]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

Kuroi noted his opponent's successful guarding of the slash using that spinning maneuver, and was minorly impressed. It was quite clever, albeit sloppy, misguided, and doomed to fail. Next, Sozen successfully guarded against Kuroi's Hell sword styles. This was a feat far more impressive than the last. Never had Kuroi actually been guarded against in that way when employing Grimoire Acero's sword styles. Of course, it was because they were Grimoire Acero's. They were employed by Kuroi, but he could not do it nearly as well as Grimoire could. Had it been the Envainar's doing, Kuroi had no doubt that Sozen would never have been able to guard against it as he did now. Still, that he could guard at all was worthy of praise. However...Sozen was misguided. He assumed that he could compete with Kuroi up close. He was sorely mistaken.

Sozen suddenly used a Hakuda which Kuroi recognized, Shukuchi-Ho, to appear behind him. Kuroi saw how fast Sozen was, and that his arm had been knocked up. The Cero was doomed to miss. It was skilled, but not as skilled as Kuroi himself was. Immediately, using his legs, which had not moved, since his wings had been what propelled him, Kuroi struck back at Sozen. While Sozen was cutting the arm and the wing, Kuroi blasted himself back on his legs, spinning to the side as his arm was severed below the elbow, and his wing as well. Regardless, Kuroi's shoulder slammed into Sozen as the Shinigami attempted to dive into the air. Instead of making it into a flip, Sozen would find himself knocked completely off balance for attempting to achieve the air time. Sozen was therefore sent sprawling, off balance, in the air, with no way to collect his footing.

Kuroi finished turning toward Sozen, who was flying away through the air. No balance, no way to regain his footing. Sozen was going to find it, even with his speed, nearly impossible to dodge what was coming. Shukuchi-Ho would not be usable again because he had no firm footing. The air ground simply did not exist inside of Cesar Del Vida. Kuroi took only a second or two to charge a Cero, having mastered the technique. This, he blasted at Sozen, who was flying away offbalanced completely. It was enormous, and if it struck Sozen, he would be completely reduced to ash. This Cero came forth from Kuroi's right hand, and simultaneously his left arm had already begun to regenerate, as had his wing. Severing his arm and wing had been a good idea, but again, misguided. His high speed regeneration compensated for such trivial losses. He had been willing to sacrifice them to gain an advantage over Sozen.

And yet, Kuroi was not done. He followed behind his Cero, his legs taking him forwards, and the aerodynamics provided by his wings speeding him along like a bullet. Kuroi, upon reaching Sozen or whatever was left of Sozen, opened back into attack. From his wrist slits, more black hilts with black metal blades emerged into each hand, so that Kuroi once more operated with two blades, one in each hand. And, on top of that, Sozen had to defend against the Cero, still while offbalance, and then against Kuroi, all before even landing properly. Sozen was in trouble, and not just because of a Cero or a regular attack by Kuroi. Having regenerated everything, and having become fit to attack Sozen, Kuroi launched what was probably going to be one of his greatest feats of combat throughout this entire battle.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

"Asa No Ame..." Kuroi murmured. "Kumo No Ato." This was not a Hell style. It was not Grimoire's technique. It belonged to a human, a Fullbringer by the name of Nishiru Tokoheita. And it was far more aggressive even than Grimoire's. It was a style of blade practice passed down through over a hundred generations, and now Kuroi had come to learn it, and to attack with it. His two blades suddenly seemed to disperse, and his arms seemed to disappear. And to Sozen, it would appear as if it was raining. As if it was raining constantly, but from Kuroi. Water droplets appeared to flow sideways, from Kuroi toward Sozen. If even a single one hit, it would leave a hole in Sozen's body. If the attack as a whole hit, Sozen's whole body would be riddled like Swiss cheese. There was a Hell style like it, but Kuroi employed this one because it was faster, and more capable of being retracted. And, he could modify it better.

Using his blade skills, Kuroi twisted the angle slightly, distorting it so that all the stabs hit unfamiliar movements, rhythms, and locations on the body. It was unorthodox. Ordinarily, even if Sozen blocked a strike, it retracted so quickly, and was followed so immediately by another one, that it made no difference. But this made it even more lethal. Even if Sozen blocked it, it would move past an ordinary guarding maneuver, and strike him, retract, and strike again, and possibly pass his guard again. This was the problem with fighting the attack. Also, because Kuroi used two blades, Sozen would have trouble with his only one. Two blades meant more attacks at once, and a lot more "rain." It was nearly impossible to block all the strikes of just one blade as it was. How could Sozen ever even hope to overcome an onslaught by two?

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 1/2500 Reiatsu [-6400 when Ress. ends]

Ressurection - Segunda Etapa: 4/12

Spiritual Pressure: 250

Reiatsu Strength: 550 (x2.5) = 1375

Hierro Strength: 2750

Kuroi's Speed: 600

[Sozen Kuchiki]

This song will power you through my entire post

Sozen found himself struck by Kuroi's shoulder, and his flip was interrupted. Ugh! He thought. That had been a harder hit than anticipated. Kuroi really hadn't held back. Sozen was going to bruise later from that one. He was also thrown to be basically upside down in the air. His directions were all messed up, but it didn't take him long to figure out where was where, because he too was very competent when it came to analyzing the combat situation. In a second or two, Sozen took in all the details.

Blood on his weapon meant a hit had connected. A visual of Kuroi holding back at first and charging indicated his attack had succeeded, and when looking, Sozen saw that yes it had. Kuroi's left arm and left wing were both missing, but they were already growing back while Kuroi charged that Cero. Another Cero. Well, if it was just Cero, it was okay. That Kuroi had yet to use any other technique indicated to Sozen that Kuroi either was out of stamina for something stronger, or Cesar Del Vida prevented him from using it.

That was good for Sozen. He really didn't want to deal with another Muerte Rey Cero or Muerte Lanzar right now. As a matter of fact, had Kuroi been capable of launching those, Sozen's defeat would have been guaranteed right there. He did not have the means to survive either of those techniques in his present state. But, since Kuroi didn't have the means to even use them, it didn't matter. This must be a condition of the dome. To restrict the enemies, Kuroi restricted himself a bit too.

Sozen thought about how Cesar Del Vida must require set-up first. Normally, Kuroi probably damaged the enemy a lot more before using it. Adding it all up, their previous battle allowed this theory to make sense. Kuroi had held off until Sozen was using his final attack. Then, with that shut down, Sozen had been so completely helpless that Kuroi had ended it in a single hit. In other words, Cesar Del Vida was a technique meant to end a fight quickly. It wasn't supposed to be even this drawn out.

So, while flying through the air, Sozen started to put the pieces together and devise his final game plan. It wasn't very complex, but he finally thought enough steps ahead to see who was going to win. This was actually it. Sozen's victory was within sight. He had run a simulation earlier in his mind of himself and Kuroi going head to head, and in that simulation, Sozen had lost. Now, however, if he did the simulation, it was Kuroi who lost the fight. Perfect.

In mid air, Sozen twisted so that he was right side up. His balance was still thrown off, however, but this was as calculated. Sozen had a slight angle downward. His back was diagonal to the ground, and he wasn't fully upright in his airborne position. It didn't really matter, though. In mid air, Sozen drew his legs into a horse stance and tried his best to center his weight, though his balance was still a mess. But, this was how he was going to defend against that Cero.

As the Cero approached, Sozen slid his weapon into his belt, behind him so it would be at his back, and then put his arms together. He crossed them in front of one another and clenched his hands into fists. Okay, all of the conditions were met for what was coming next. Kuroi had better be surprised, because what was coming was going to surprise him. It was also going to tax Sozen's body to the maximum possible capacity. This fight was actually almost completely over.

As soon as the Cero struck Sozen, his body vibrated at maximum speed, and he expelled his arms forwards. Waves of power repulsed the Cero, and blew away most of the reiatsu. The force of the Cero was still enough to knock Sozen from the air. With his back diagonal, he was pushed down and slammed hard into the ground, feet first, and pushed skidding. But, it worked. The technique in question that he had used had been successful in keeping the Cero from killing him.

The technique used, Gokken, was an advanced level Hakuda technique used to repulse enemy attacks. It worked by vibrating the very molecules of ones body to disperse energy. This was why speed became the dominant defensive value. Still, the Cero was far too powerful for Sozen to not take notice of. In numerical terms, 700 speed would normally come out of that technique's attack strength, which was currently 1375, making its new strength 675. It was still a powerful technique. Enough to severely burn Sozen.

But that was what made it important that Sozen touched the ground. He had counted on this. As soon as the Cero struck him and began to battle with his dispersal of energy, meaning during a split second moment of conflict, Sozen hit the ground. He hit the ground as his arms were starting to move outwards. Perfect timing, because suddenly he stepped forwards further into the Cero using Shukuchi-Ho, increasing his speed threefold for his two steps into the Cero, and allowing his vibrations to speed up momentarily as well.

Suddenly, Sozen's speed was equivalent to 2100, and the Cero was only 1375. Suddenly, Sozen had a 725 advantage. This meant that as the Cero was dispersed, blasts of air exploded forth from Sozen to further disperse the reiatsu, and obliterate what was left of it, clearing it out, and thus clearing Sozen's view in addition to negating the strength of the technique to less than 0. This mitigated the damage greatly. Of course, it was not an invincible defense.

The split second of conflict had been brutal, and Sozen's arms were practically blackened by the Cero. The rest of him had also taken some heavy, steaming burns. He was getting close to the end of the fight, so he hadn't minded taking that damage. Because, as he emerged from the Cero, he was still gliding on the final moment of Shukuchi-Ho, so that Kuroi, with such vastly inferior speed, wouldn't be able to avert course after seeing that Cero completely countered by Sozen.

The Kuchiki Head's arms were already back up, his feet skidding as Shukuchi-Ho ended, and his stance firm and planted. Kuroi had made a mistake in following his Cero. But it was a calculated one. Sozen had known that Kuroi would be thorough in destroying him. Kuroi was strong, and exceptionally skilled. There was no way that he would just leave the Cero to do it. He would come after Sozen himself after the Cero, and Sozen had counted on that happening.

So, as Kuroi and Sozen suddenly rushed into one another unavoidably, Sozen crossed his arms, and as Kuroi's blades slammed forwards for the first time, they would strike Sozen's arms in the center. Sozen saw his red blood gush out as holes formed in his forearms, but still he attacked. His arms exploded outwards upon that hit, using superior speed to get it in before Kuroi could retract and proceed with further strikes. This defense allowed Sozen, despite his injury, to attack Kuroi all the more.

Suddenly, Kuroi's blades were repulsed, ending his rhythm, and probably his stab attacks because of the momentous power behind the guarding. Winds would knock Kuroi's arms to the side and prevent him from continuing his attack for one or two seconds. All the time needed, because Sozen needn't attack further. Gokken had another effect which hadn't been seen against the Cero, because it had been a reiatsu based attack. Gokken had a specific offensive purpose against physical attackers.

When the attack strength was inferior to the defensive strength of Sozen's technique, a blast of force would be released right into the opponent's internals, almost like an air blast, not unlike what Okusa Shogen could do, and cause incredible damage. The proximity was too close, and Kuroi was offbalanced by winds. In fact, it struck simultaneous to the winds anyway, so with that in mind and the proximity, there was no way that Kuroi was going to be able to get out of this hit.

As it hit, it would come with a force equivalent to Kuroi's strength subtracted from Sozen's speed. In other words, 700 - 100. Kuroi's internals were suddenly struck with an equivalent force of 600. This would completely rupture some of Kuroi's more important organs, and less important ones too. It might even damage or stop his heart, but Sozen didn't think this retaliatory strike would be enough to end the battle or kill Kuroi. More than likely, Kuroi would lose his liver, splene, and some ribs and get a cracked rib cage. The rest would be fairly self sustaining, though his heart would also take considerable damage and strain, and choke up his breathing.

All in all, Kuroi would lose blood from his mouth, and he would take heavy internal damage. That was more damage than his high speed regeneration could fix on its own. If Kuroi wanted to survive further, then he would need to seek medical attention. But, would Sozen even let Kuroi go off to get that medical attention? Probably not, because there was another effect that Sozen had intended with this attack, which was all but guaranteed to hit Kuroi now.

Sozen had realized early that Cesar Del Vida must be Kuroi's ultimate technique, and had in doing so also come to understand that a technique that powerful must have a catch, especially if Kuroi saved it. If he held it in reserve, it must have drawbacks that the Segunda did not enjoy visiting. One of those drawbacks, Sozen had guessed, would be concentration. And during battle, he hadn't been exactly wrong. Kuroi had been a little less focused than before. Cesar Del Vida must take a tremendous amount of focus to maintain.

So, if Kuroi was struck with enough damage, Cesar Del Vida would collapse. So, with a practically guaranteed strike such as Sozen's, Kuroi's Cesar Del Vida dome suddenly splintered apart and shattered, leaving Kuroi out of luck, and near death as well. With Cesar Del Vida gone, Kuroi's greatest feat of power would be destroyed, and Sozen would be in the clear. He had essentially already won the battle by that point, given that he had dealt so much damage to Kuroi already.

This was it! Sozen was winning the battle officially. Kuroi couldn't pretend anymore that he wasn't at the end of his rope. Panting, and grinning, Sozen backed off by taking several steps away from the probably horribly injured Kuroi. Sozen fell to all fours in complete exhaustion, just as he imagined Kuroi might be doing right about now. Sozen still looked up to see what was happening with the Segunda. Head up, even on all fours, Sozen kept vigilant, and observed his opponent.

Every cell in Sozen's body was on fire. His body hurt. He could feel a lot more than soreness. It was the sort of sharp ache throughout his soul that made him wish he was asleep or dead. And somehow, he also loved this feeling of pain. It hurt, but it was a good kind of hurt. It was a hurt associated with a tough battle, and pushing himself to the limit. He was going to win...He knew that he had to win. Kuroi was at the end of his rope...And so was Sozen...It all came down to a mental fortitude battle, now...

It wasn't over yet, but it was as good as over. Sozen probably couldn't even stand anymore, but then again, he figured that neither could Kuroi. If it came down to a battle of spells, Kuroi would probably only have the stamina to accomplish one or two more, which Sozen would be able to defend against. If it was a battle of stamina, Kuroi would lose that one because of all of his high powered Cero. Between the two combatants, damage was hardly scarce anyway.

"This is it, Kuroi..." Sozen explained. "These are the final moments of our battle...And look at how far we've come...Last time, I couldn't even touch you once you'd released. This time, I'm going to defeat you." Sozen was willing to give Kuroi a moment to rest by delivering that monologue. Well, more than anything, Sozen also wanted to infuriate Kuroi, and to bait the Segunda into using an attack that he didn't have the stamina reserves to attempt. The fight would end there if Sozen defended against it.

"You've failed, Kuroi..."Sozen continued. "In spite of all of your power, you're about to lose to me. That threat you made against my family...It's moot now, because you've lost. In future, in all years to come, and in all your private moments and future lives, I want you to remember the one man who beat you. I want you now to raise your head, and look me square in the eye, and I want you to acknowledge to yourself that I defeated you, and that it's over. And then, you have my permission to die..."

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 475/1100 Reiatsu

[Zou ۞]

No, it truly was surprising. Kuroi had not expected that maneuver. Had it been any other kind of attack, it would have been a simple maneuver. But, as he saw his Cero dispersed, and the speed at which his opponent moved, Kuroi came to understand the flaw in his technique which he had already known. He had failed to strike Sozen with Silencio Hazo: Genrai, while the Kuchiki Head had been under Silencio Hazo. That was one of the prerequisite set-ups before Cesar Del Vida was ever to take effect. With an opponent slowed and extremely weakened, they were no match for Kuroi once Cesar Del Vida was initiated. Sozen, however, had not lost his speed, which had been superior, and his injuries were on par with Kuroi's. His skill was considerable, though Kuroi's was still superior. That being said, however, that considerable skill did mean that it was much more difficult for Kuroi to land any sort of strike on Sozen. It wasn't impossible, and in fact it was more than doable. It was simple difficult. Sozen had taken damage willingly this time, in order to deal worse damage to Kuroi.

Indeed, his organs had taken quite the blow. As Cesar Del Vida shattered, Kuroi fell to all fours with Sozen, gasping for breath. Blood exploded forth from Kuroi's mouth onto the ground beneath him. He had expected a difficult battle, but he had admittedly expected Segunda Etapa to completely overwhelm Sozen. In terms of power and capability, Kuroi had overwhelmed Sozen. The latter had used strategy here. Were they to do battle again, it wouldn't work again. Kuroi would probably win by an enormous margin if they were to do battle a third time. It was simply that this battle was the one that mattered. Kuroi didn't want to lose this. He'd had fun with it, and been pressured, but a battle was no good when one came out of it as the loser. It was fun up until a point. It stopped as soon as it was lost. Fights were only fun if challenging, but eventually leading to victory. Kuroi wanted to win, and he had no intention of losing. However, it was true that he had taken considerable damage. He wouldn't be able to fight as he pleased any further. It was time to bring out his trump card.

Sozen was taunting Kuroi. In spite of all of your power, you're about to lose to me. That threat you made against my family...It's moot now, because you've lost. In future, in all years to come, and in all your private moments and future lives, I want you to remember the one man who beat you. I want you now to raise your head, and look me square in the eye, and I want you to acknowledge to yourself that I defeated you, and that it's over. And then, you have my permission to die. And Kuroi recalled what Sozen was echoing. The Segunda had said this same thing to Sozen during their first battle, when Kuroi had won by a completely overwhelming margin. And how disgusting, that Sozen had remembered these words, and was now pushing Kuroi and mirroring them. Was he attempting to stage some sort of dramatic irony? Was it simply to further infuriate Kuroi? Did he hope for Kuroi perhaps to exhaust himself with a futile Cero? It was obvious that Sozen would be able to get away from another one, and the battle would then be over. So, that wasn't happening.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

"Damned Shinigami..." Kuroi hissed. "Know your place..." And suddenly, his body began to glow red and to steam with red. But, Kuroi's reiatsu also started to flow out, and mask all of it in insidious black. He was using Kakucho Cero again, this time on his eyes which glowed red, and on the rest of his body as well. More importantly than that, after the fact, when it was the power from his Segunda Etapa which allowed him to activate those techniques, Kuroi's Segunda Etapa faded away. His hair retracted back to being short, his wings dissipated, and his wrist slits sealed up completely. Instead, he was left with black khaki pants, a bare torso, and glowing eyes. At this point, it seemed as if Kuroi should be dead, but something else happened instead. Fire exploded into existence on Kuroi's back, and formed a sheathed sword. Kuroi sheathed his own Zanpakuto, and instead reached to his back. His right hand clasped around the handle of the blade, and he started to unsheathe it. Suddenly, the reiatsu emanating from him became so intimidating as to be comparable to the Vandenreich Emperor. Nearly god-like.

From the sheathe, Kuroi pulled forth a weapon with a black hilt that appeared to be fashioned from bone, and with a red blade. "The strongest sword...Izanami..." Kuroi referred to his new blade. And suddenly, black energy washed over him and his sword, and he stood up, as if perfectly okay, and began to swivel from side to side. Kuroi's eyes focused on Sozen. Izanami had a unique power. Not only would it allow Kuroi to stand up and fight once more, but it would allow him to see all energies of life, death, and aura. He could see beyond seeing, and as a result, his sword strikes became that much more lethal. And, additionally, he had enhanced his body using Kakucho Cero, so that he would be that much faster and that much stronger. His muscles were burning horribly, but Izanami allowed him to suppress the drawback until after. Even his lost organs were inconsequential for now. It was Kuroi at his strongest. As the most powerful swordsman alive. And it was Sozen who would pay the price for invoking this.

Suddenly, Kuroi shifted forwards in a blur. He was so smooth in his transitions that for a moment he seemed to turn invisible, and Sozen would be able to see nothing of Kuroi. And, as Kuroi reached Sozen and lunged into an attack, the same thing happened. Suddenly, Kuroi seemed invisible, except for the faintest outline of the blade dancing around. As it slipped through the air, it literally severed the energies accompanying Sozen around, and suddenly, any ability to move by Sozen would be severed completely. Even the reiatsu that began building up around Sozen would suddenly be disrupted by the disruption of the energy flow around him, meaning that Kido was impossible. Hakuda and Kido both were completely impossible, meaning Sozen's options were extremely limited. And, if he couldn't defend himself, then in an instant he would be severed at all four limbs, and his throat would be carved open and his eyes gouged out. Such was the might of this blade, which made all sword strikes so completely perfect. This was it. Sozen was about to be killed.

The end of Kuroi's release did not mean the end of his fighting ability. It meant the beginning of that which was unstoppable.

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 0 Reiatsu

Strongest Sword - Izanami: 1/6

Kakucho Cero - Eyes: 1/8

Kakucho Cero - Body: 1/6

Speed: 700

Senses: 600

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{This song first}

This is it... Sozen thought. Kuroi was finally using his full power. It was somehow an exciting feeling. Sozen had been tipped off as soon as he'd realized that Kuroi had no intention of firing a Cero. That could only mean one of two things. Either Kuroi had given up completely, which was unlikely given he was an agent of despair, or Kuroi had something else still in reserve to throw at the Kuchiki Head instead of just another trivial Cero. For Kuroi to have something in reserve was typical. Of course Kuroi would have yet another thing.

He still had something up his sleeve, huh? That's fine. Bring it on. This is exciting. Flames formed something on Kuroi's back, and the Segunda's skin began to glow. Wait, was that Kakucho Cero? No way, it couldn't be. Sozen's cutting strength surpassed Kuroi's right now. If Kuroi used Kakucho Cero, then he would be vulnerable for Sozen to stab with Akai Birido. Kuroi would know that, too. Surely, the Segunda wasn't going to actually use that against Sozen?

Then, suddenly, black reiatsu began to block out Kuroi from view. Sozen understood. Kuroi's aura was going to block the red, so that the Kuchiki Head couldn't see Kuroi, and wouldn't be able to do any sort of harm to the Segunda based on skin color or that red steam. Okay, that made perfect sense. Sozen would only be able then to watch and wait. He wasn't going to make any reckless moves. Rushing in would only get Sozen killed. Well, if he could rush in. He couldn't even stand, anyway.

Kuroi started to pull forth a sword with a red blade, which Sozen would also have taken advantage of if aura didn't start to cover the damn thing. But what was significant about it was the sudden upgrade in power which Sozen sensed as Kuroi drew that sword. It wasn't even just that Kuroi's reiatsu grew more impressive, or his aura became bigger. It became more finely focused. It became extremely well tempered. Despite being rough and violent, it was honed and refined.

One of the measures of an opponent's strength was the refinement of their aura. Even those with huge auras often were weaker because they didn't know how to control and use their own powers. Kuroi had always possessed the most well commanded reiatsu that Sozen had ever sensed, but what the Segunda had previously possessed did not even compare now to what the Squad 6 Captain was sensing. That thing was on a level of its own. Now Sozen understood why no Soul Reaper had ever been able to challenge Kuroi before.

Narrator: Sozen was baffled by the Segunda's strength. When he set his mind to challenging the Espada, never once had Sozen considered the possibility of a Segunda Etapa, let alone a power even beyond that. He was both awed by Kuroi and by himself, for his ability to effectively counter these things which he had known nothing about, and had not expected in the least. Even despite Kuroi's unexpected strength, Sozen held firm in the face of adversity. And, as he marveled over the Segunda's strength, suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by another.

Are you afraid? a voice asked inside of Sozen's mind. His eyes widened. He had been hearing a mix of voices in his mind throughout not only this fight recently, but others. Ever since he had started the development of a certain new skill, Sozen's brain had been full of the words of one or two other voices, besides himself or Aka, and yet he could never communicate with them. This time, however, he sensed a legitimate presence, and a clarity that had not existed until now.

Narrator: Sozen paused. The voice he heard was one that he had heard before. It was one with which he'd been trying to communicate since his second battle with Caesar. After defeating the Stern Ritter, Sozen had realized that in spite of his newfound strength, he needed to get even stronger. To defeat enemies such as Baal or even foes beyond Kuroi, such as Sonken Kouhai, Sozen needed to develop a power that dwarfed even the mightiest of theirs.

While cunning had always been one of Sozen's strong suits, and many a time he had bested superior enemies with it, he found more and more that in some cases, pure power was beyond the ability of strategy to defeat. In had not been the case with Quincy Vollstandig, though that too had indeed been very difficult to do battle against. And, had Zouma Santeku for example been able to use his true powers, could Sozen have countered? He needed a back-up for if cunning simply wasn't enough. And, this voice was his answer.

Who are you? Sozen asked in his mind. He closed his eyes briefly. Time felt like it was slowing down, anyway. He had a bare precious few seconds. More than enough time for some inner spirit communication. What Sozen saw in his mind surprised him. A jester with perfectly white skin, upright red hair, and sinister eyes, and a twinkling smile. The sense that he got was...strange. It was strange because Sozen was familiar with this jester. He knew who it was.

It has been a long time... Sozen greeted the presence in his mind. The jester smiled bashfully. It has. In that time, I've changed my name. You may call me Omoni. Sozen pondered that for a moment. Incubus? Well, certainly, this jester had a sort of seductive, sexual aura about him, and spoke in Japanese with intonations typically reserved for females in that culture, despite being male. Well, this was a relief, though. Sozen knew who this was.

A brief image flashed through Sozen's mind of himself, in his youth. A time when he was younger, physical age eighteen. He had been muscular, then. He had been strong. Not as strong as he was now, but definitely more ruthless, and some might even say more cunning. He had definitely been more bloodthirsty, as a gaunt young man with neatly kept hair and rectangular framed glasses. He had definitely been feared, back when he'd always had a different kind of sadistic smile on his face.

Omoni, huh? Sozen repeated. Did my efforts to call you succeed, then? The jester smiled and licked his lips. They did, but not in the way you're imagining...If anything, they showed me how powerful you have truly become...How deserving of the power you seek to become moreso...And they made me experience such thrills, as I haven't felt in a very long time...I think, Sozen, I might just want to devour you, myself, instead of letting a Hollow do it...

Narrator: And Omoni had always desired killing. He had urged Sozen on toward bloodthirst, and was a sadistic spirit who hungered for strong opponents. It was not a relationship where Omoni controlled Sozen. It was a relationship where Sozen and Omoni simply agreed that killing could be something of a sport, in missions. And Omoni loved it. And Sozen loved it. They'd had many synchronized moments where they both felt thrills over strong adversaries. Had it been Omoni, perhaps Soulbind would have taken a more aggressive form.

Sozen pondered this for a moment. The one now called Omoni had always been extremely sadistic. Omoni, once called Akai. Omoni, who had been the Zanpakuto spirit Sozen possessed as a youth. A Lieutenant in Squad 7. Later, during Sozen's travels with Aoi, Akai had disappeared, to be replaced by Aka. It was all another story which Sozen didn't want to flashback to just yet. However, he had tried to call this spirit back, for this spirit was associated with another part of Sozen's power that he no longer used, and would like again...

Watch out, Omoni suddenly warned. He's coming. to attack.

SPOILER: Click to show

{This song now}

Sozen forced himself to stand, and felt his muscles begin to tear for the vanity of such an action as even that. Unlike Kuroi, Sozen didn't possess a magical sword to temporarily relieve him of the drawback of his wounds. But he did possess a few other things. A quick smile, followed by a tremendous scream from Aka inside of Sozen's soul as he summoned Soulbind to his face in an instant. This was all it took for Sozen to be back on board in the fight with Kuroi.

Omoni chuckled as Aka cried out in pain, and the red mask formed on Sozen's face amid blue flames and red claws on his fingertips. He was quick to do a toe touch on his way down, and turned his shoes red. This was all in the instant before Kuroi reached him. Upon Kuroi's arrival, Sozen had another trick in play. He knew that any further movement was going to take him out of the battle. He couldn't keep up physical combat for more than an additional ten seconds, so this one had to count.

Suddenly, multiple things happened. From Sozen's left hand, a flood of water burst out in front of him. This was wordless, and it was also Hado #40: Gouzen Demizu. This large tidal wave of water threatened to engulf Kuroi, and blast and wash him away. Simultaneously, blades erupted from the bottom of Sozen's shoes, instantaneously rocketing him into the air and away from Kuroi, with the blades acting almost like stilts and jet propulsion at the same time, continually growing higher and higher.

The flood moved toward Kuroi, the blades moved Sozen away from Kuroi, and at the same time, they scraped against the ground, leaving two small red lines in the ground in front of Sozen. From these, two blades each instantaneously leaped forth, straight at Kuroi. They would be hidden by the water, which if Kuroi did not defend against would actually wash him away anyways. But, even if he did block it, he didn't have sufficient speed to dodge it and get around it, either.

Once Kuroi found some way to deal with the water, the blades would be erupting out of it at tremendous speed, and stabbing into Kuroi. This was the first part of Sozen's offensive/defensive retaliation plan. Kuroi's attacking power was higher, but Sozen's skill gave him a superior defensive power. The one thing he was most sure of in all his powers was his ability to counter and retaliate, to land much heavier damage than what the opponent could land on him. And Kuroi just had a sword, really.

It's too bad, isn't it...? Omoni mocked Sozen. That black reiatsu is covering everything. If it wasn't, you could just summon blades out of his red sword or one of his wounds... Sozen gritted his teeth from the air. That was also true. If Kuroi hadn't covered himself in all of that black reiatsu, Sozen would have been able to end the fight so much more quickly. But, then, Sozen got a ridiculous idea. Well, he got two ridiculous ideas. He would just have to see which one would work better given the circumstances.

It really is too bad... Sozen agreed. If it weren't for that black aura, I could skewer him from head to toe... That was a little more sadistic than even Sozen was used to saying, but for some reason, it felt like an appropriate thought for the moment. Omoni licked his lips in Sozen's mind, and with narrowed, cold eyes gazed intently at the fight. That sounds more like you, Sozen... Omoni whispered, referencing a time when Sozen had been more bloodthirsty than he was now.

To finish off his attack, Sozen allowed his fifth and final object of Soulbind red to be one of his own stilt blades, which immediately launched red blades at Kuroi. The goal of this was to be maneuverable. Because Kuroi was already defending against blades and a tidal wave, a sudden, second blade might be too much for someone who had only a sword. This weapon was strong, but there was no way that Kuroi could deal with such an offset of timing and misbalance. Sozen had planned accordingly.

High up in the air, out of reach, and therefore away from Kuroi's retaliatory range, Sozen knew that victory was his. Kuroi might have a mighty weapon, but it did no good. Kuroi had no reiatsu. He couldn't even use air ground, or even a Bala or a Sonido. This meant that, essentially, Kuroi couldn't do anything at all. He could use that sword, and that was it. If Sozen stayed out of range and attacked with long range, or if he just sat up there and waited it out, Kuroi would lose by default.

But, Sozen wasn't the kind of person to win like that. He wanted a legitimate victory. Normally, he didn't mind playing dirty like that, but this was the Segunda Espada. Sozen needed to prove that a Soul Reaper Captain would be able to take on an Espada of Kuroi's level. So, he needed a clean victory. That meant out-strategizing AND landing a finishing blow, and not just waiting for Kuroi to burn out. That meant that Sozen had to try one of his two crazy ideas.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 300/475 Reiatsu

Soulbind Post Count: 1/15

[Zou ۞]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

Kuroi didn't even hesitate. He was completely unfazed by Sozen's pitiful attempt at a counterattack. The Segunda Espada had focused completely. No distractions were permitted to enter his mind. There would be no more monologues, or thoughts aside from battle. He had entered a state of total focus which only geniuses could enter, and only after intense work in their designated activity. In sports, it was almost never seen that an athlete could achieve the level of focus that Kuroi had. In combat, it was even more rare. Even the most honed of warriors, who after ten thousand battles had ascertained the greatest amount of wisdom, experience, and prowess possible, couldn't achieve the state of enlightened mind that Kuroi had. That was the level of focus possessed by the Segunda Espada. Nothing was impossible for him anymore.

As the water approached, Kuroi slipped from side to side quickly, in so flawless a motion that it appeared to leave behind afterimages of him on either side. Kuroi could see the flow of the water's energy, and knew exactly where to bring his blade. It was as if a hand of God guided Kuroi's body, and his blade, still appearing to leave behind an afterimage, moved through the air and cut into the water. Kuroi's flawless motions, and slipping through and cutting into the flood, caused the water to part ways. It was practically Biblical, as if Kuroi were Moses parting the red sea. The flood simply parted and began to disperse around Kuroi completely, paving way for him and not stopping him. It wasn't even that Kuroi parted it, in fact. It looked more like the water actually moved of its own volition, and made way for him on its own.

That said, Kuroi could also see the energy of the blades. He saw the world as an enormous flow of energy in that moment, and thus was able to anticipate the swords Sozen launched at him. He saw it coming from the ground, and in a motion too fluid to be called anticipation or reaction, he cut into the incoming blades at their weakest points of energy, severing them completely not with cutting strength, but by severing the flow of energy in and around them, making them possible to cut like butter. And, even as he did this, Kuroi slipped to the side so as to be able to dodge them if they had some other effect. As he did, and moved past them, Kuroi cut into the ground also in a single fluid motion, blacking out the red lines, and making it impossible for Sozen to take any further advantage of them.

Then, still on his way to Sozen, Kuroi noted another build-up of energy, and instantly attacked yet again. It could be said that it was as if Kuroi skipped his own brain entirely. Some might observe it as the Segunda taking the input and simply electrically charging a command from his input directly to his body, without even needing the brain to analyze. It was beyond reflex and instinct, and so perfect that one might attribute such a thing to what Kuroi was doing. This time, Kuroi arrived in time to slip past the incoming blades, and with his own, sever the energy in and around them, resulting in their being completely cut, like butter. Before Sozen could even bring more out, however, Kuroi was upon him, for the Segunda had at long last reached the sort of stilts which Sozen had formed in an attempt to escape.

Kuroi's blade was quick, and in an instant he cut into these as well, severing the energies at their weakest points. The flow of energy and the world was Kuroi's to command, and cutting even these blades was simple, easy. It was like cutting a soft fruit. Kuroi used his unnaturally buoyant body, comprised of spiritual particles, to launch himself high into the air, and spun and cut as he did. As always, each and every movement seemed to generate some sort of an afterimage, making keeping track of Kuroi with the eyes nearly impossible, as he became consumed by afterimages overlapping with one another. All the while, his sword cut into the blades, until Kuroi reached halfway up, and had cut them several times. Then, he fell back down, and as the blades began to crumble and fall, taking away Sozen's height advantage and balance, Kuroi went to work.

Once again, Kuroi cut around himself, so that anything left of the height of those falling blades would be severed completely, leaving Sozen without blades coming from his feet. And, with increasing rapidity and accuracy, Kuroi cut around himself so as to sever any other incoming energies. As Sozen fell, it had been calculated for Sozen to reach Kuroi by falling directly into his range, and thus Kuroi, cutting the energies around him, would ensure that Sozen was unable to utilize any sort of Kido or step technique, or even a Hakuda because of the disruption of his place in the energy flow. Because of this, as Sozen landed, he would find himself unable to tap into these powers, if he so attempted it, and would instead simply continue to fall toward Kuroi, not only in danger of impacting the ground, but in danger of being in range of Kuroi's blade.

Kuroi's blade slipped in and out of slashes, and if Sozen failed to defend, then that was it, and the fight was over. Sozen would be carved at the legs, arms, chest, head, and more. He would be left in many, perfect pieces. The Segunda Espada, Kuroi Naito. The greatest swordsman alive. Invincible in one on one close melee combat, Kuroi could not be beaten, even by the supposed cunning of one Squad 6 Captain. No Shinigami had ever bested Kuroi in combat before, and no Shinigami ever would. Because Kuroi was the best. He was the strongest, not just in the Espada, but in all of Hueco Mundo. There were no combatants in that world, or even in Soul Society, who could come to par with Kuroi. That was the reality which Kuroi knew to be true. He would never be defeated by the likes of these. The majesty of his attack would go down in history, and his victory over Sozen today would be Biblical.

Kuroi's Remaining Reiatsu: 0 Reiatsu

Izanami: 2/6

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{This may be one of my last posts and all...}

Holy shit...What is that aura?! Sozen thought to himself as Kuroi approached. It was unbelievable. Kuroi's aura was completely different than a second before. It had been one thing when Kuroi drew his sword and came for the attack, but it was another when Sozen actually saw Kuroi at work, cutting into something. Immediately, everything changed, and Sozen understood for the first time why Kuroi was called the world's greatest swordsman. Sozen couldn't even follow those movements, let alone counter them.

First, Kuroi went to work carving apart Gouzen Demizu. That in itself was an impressive feat, and gave Sozen a clear view of Kuroi's skills for the first time since Izanami had been drawn. The water literally dissolved away to either side of the...Segundas? Wait, what was this? Multiple Kurois? One...two...three...four...seven? Eight? Eight Kurois? No, that couldn't be right. The Segunda was out of reiatsu. He shouldn't possess any sort of cloning ability. It was impossible for him.

Second look, it was after-images. Those movements. The water had practically been parted to either side and then abruptly evaporated by Kuroi's sword maneuvers. That in itself was amazing, but Kuroi wasn't even done. He didn't hesitate for even a second. He didn't miss a single beat off the rhythm. In fact, he made it even faster. Sozen saw this, and saw Kuroi actually react so instantly that he surmised it couldn't even be a reaction. It could be nothing less than Kuroi simply seeing the future.

He dealt effortlessly with the incoming blades, which should have been impossible because of their superior reiatsu strength. And yet, Kuroi still cut them. And, he even covered up the red where Sozen would have launched more from. Smart, given that Sozen probably would have launched an attack from behind Kuroi the moment the Segunda defeated the blades and passed by them. And, the thing was, even despite how impressive that was, Kuroi was still coming. Straight for Sozen. He didn't even need to strategize. He just needed to approach, like a storm.

Sozen's eyes widened as Kuroi carved up the next blade that shot outwards. There was no way. Sozen's timing had been completely perfect. Kuroi couldn't possibly be able to do that. And yet, here it was. Kuroi was perfectly able to defend himself, and then retaliate. Even more shocking was that Kuroi was coming for Sozen without stopping or hesitating. And, suddenly, Kuroi jumped too. Wait, that should also have been impossible. He didn't have the ability to gather reishi at his feet. His reiatsu had been drained by Segunda Etapa. Sozen knew this because he knew of the heavy costs of an Arrancar release.

And yet, here it was. Was it simply because of Kuroi's skill as a swordsman alone? A spiritual body couldn't possibly be enough, could it? How did Kuroi do that? And then, the inevitable happened. Kuroi started cutting into the blades that Sozen used as stilts. It was only a matter of time before the distance between them was closed. But, Sozen knew that at close range, Kuroi had become unbeatable. There was no way that he could defeat the Segunda in close quarters combat under ordinary circumstances...

Kuroi landed again, and continued severing Sozen's blades. He was already falling. Already losing air. Already being brought closer and closer to the Segunda Espada. It was as if there was a huge shark's maw below him, and he was headed straight for it. Straight into the teeth, and the gaping wide bite of the one called Kuroi. It induced anxiety in Sozen. Not fear. He was a skilled warrior who had moved past that. He felt worry. Momentary doubt. Doubt in his own ability to win. Sozen sighed, and he smiled.

He's good...But I'm still going to win...

SPOILER: Click to show

{And now this one...}

Time for Sozen to go on the offensive. His blades were gone at last, for he retracted what was left before Kuroi could finish cutting, and still he allowed himself to continue his plummet toward Kuroi, who was cutting all around him. Sozen descended toward the shark. Well, you know what they say about a shark. You have to punch it in the nose to make it go away. This was about the time for Sozen to test that theory, and all. It was about to be quite a battle, right?

Narrator: As Sozen fell, he reviewed the battle in his mind. At the beginning, he had calculated how much effort and which strategies to disperse at various points, and this had allowed him to stay in control of the rhythm of combat. Now, descending, he had two options. He could either use his first strategy, or he could attempt to attack Kuroi with Shunpo Karin and Shukuchi-Ho. Drained of reiatsu, the Segunda would never have been able to defend against that.

But, as Sozen fell, a realization dawned upon him. He saw the motions of Kuroi's blade, and immediately came to understand that Kuroi, like any master of an art, must be centered with himself, and conscious of the flow of the world around him. It was no different from Sozen's Heavenly Spear. This was simply a much more powerful version of it. In a moment of epiphany, Sozen understood Kuroi, and how his attack had defeated both Gouzen Demizu and Aka No Zetsu so easily.

So, falling, Sozen decided that he must go with his first strategy. The risk factor was high, but it had been all along for this whole fight. Thinking back on it now, Sozen must have been suicidal to have taken on this fight all alone. Had he possessed an ally, they might have slowed him down, or they might have made it impossible for Kuroi to truly win, though that ally may have also died in the process. If this was to be a suicide mission, however, then Sozen had no problem with giving his life to take Kuroi's as well.

Falling without Soulbind, Sozen activated Bankai immediately, and did not even draw his sword. It simply disappeared into red sand with his sheathe, and the world around him started to turn red, ground included, as he fell. Kuroi must surely have seen it as well, but Sozen knew that if he used any ordinary attack, then Kuroi would be able to counter it. Sozen no longer had the stamina to continue fighting. His body could barely move anymore, and he himself could barely think anymore.

This would be Sozen's last attack. As he fell toward Kuroi, Bankai active, and consciousness all but ready to fade away into sweet oblivion, Sozen squeezed his fists tightly. He squeezed them so tightly that blood started to flood back out of the cuts on his palms, and drip from the bottoms of his fists as he descended toward Kuroi. The climax of the battle had arrived, and Sozen's cold smile had disappeared in favor of focused, and determined eyes once more.

And then, it happened. As Sozen fell and reached Kuroi, a tall, long blade came forth from the ground to block out Kuroi, and smack his sword away. It was simple for Kuroi to figure that was happening, and cut the blade away and continue to attack Sozen, but it would delay Kuroi a fraction of a second, and a tenth of an inch. It was delay the Segunda just enough for Sozen to twist his body in mid air as he descended, and to avoid receiving multiple hits, and instead receive only a small one at best.

As Kuroi's blade started to dig into Sozen's flesh, he saw the weapon up close, and thus the red of it. Covered in black, overflowing reiatsu as it was, Kuroi's reiatsu was black and smoky, billowy by default. This meant that it could be seen through when close enough, and Sozen's face was mere inches from Izanami. The blade which was starting to cut into his legs first, and perhaps sever them entirely were Sozen to do nothing, was red. Sozen had seen it when it was first drawn, and he saw it again now.

It was in being able to see that red blade up close, and confirm its redness, that Sozen was able to win the fight with Kuroi. Instantly, he disappeared into one of the drops of blood coming from his hand just as it dripped out. It was an instantaneous disappearance, using his costless Bankai technique known as Aka No Isou, the Red Transport. The blade used to momentarily stop Kuroi had either retracted or been severed by the time Sozen reached and used Aka No Isou, making it costless but for stamina which Sozen barely had.

And, another typical drawback of Aka No Isou, which worked to Sozen's advantage here, was that he needed to emerge immediately from another source of red the very instant that he disappeared into one. And thus, that had been his strategy this whole time. With a smile, Sozen emerged from the very thing which Kuroi was using to attack him with. Sozen emerged from the red blade, the strongest sword, Izanami. It was Kuroi's only weapon at this moment, and he hadn't the speed to summon another one quickly enough.

Emerging forth from it, Sozen knew he had won, for Kuroi could summon no other weapons on time, had no reiatsu to use to counter him, and had no way of cutting Sozen, for Sozen was emerging forth from Kuroi's sword. In the split second it would take to finish the attack, Sozen wouldn't even be fully emerged from the sword yet. It was easy. Kuroi had no way of cutting his own sword. Even if he let go of it, he'd lose just from letting go of it, and wouldn't be fast enough anyway.

Even if Kuroi slammed it into the ground, he wouldn't even be fast enough to do that, nor would it get the distance needed to save him. There was nothing to it, Sozen, emerging forth from Kuroi's strongest sword, the divine blade they called Izanami, had an attack prepared for the Segunda Espada. Sozen, covered in burns, cuts, and more, and bleeding profusely, had the perfect weapon here. Drenched in wounds, Sozen was able to summon blades from all over his body, even the cheek cuts left on him at the very earliest onset of the battle.

Blades from everywhere would suddenly appear and stab into Kuroi's chest. His torso would be penetrated and riddled full of holes, and his organs so desperately obliterated that he would have no chance of getting up again. His limbs too would be penetrated and severed, or at least his arms would, which too would separate him from his blade, and allow his wounds and loss of stamina to finally get to him, and finish the fight. And, as this attack happened, blades rose from the ground around them to stab into Kuroi as well and destroy his legs, and hit his torso from underneath.

It also created walls and barriers around them, and then a rooftop above, forming a sort of bladed structure. All of this was done so that there was no way that the Segunda Espada would be able to escape. As Sozen emerged from Kuroi's blade, his battle cry could be heard as his intense, fiery eyes settled on the Segunda's. "HAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!" Sozen cried out, and then his attack happened. As it completed, he finished emerging from the Segunda's blade, and in a final use of his stamina, performed a backflip so as to land gracefully on his feet a couple of feet away, only to find he could not balance. Sozen stumbled backwards to make more distance between them, and collapsed to the ground onto his back, unable to move any further.

Stop music. Stunned silence. Pause. Momentary pause. Silence. Stunned. Silence. No music. Pause.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Now unpause and play this, or ignore this part if my attack fails ;P}

Sozen's fist flew up into the air and he held it there. It was probably the only movement that he could really manage. Covered in dirt, blood, and wounds, and surrounded in a puddle of blood and filth, and the red world around him, amid rubble that had once been a town, Sozen knew it had all been worth it. Every single moment of grueling nightmares, training, desperation, and attempts to get stronger all for this moment had been completely worth it. He had won. He had defeated the Segunda Espada. He had defeated Kuroi Naito.

An accomplishment no other Soul Reaper could boast. An accomplishment that would not only put his name in history all the more, but would prove that Las Noches was not invincible. Soul Society COULD fight back against them. And they could win. There had been a great many sacrifices for this. The entire town they were in had been switched literally minutes before their battle with a fake Soul Society created. The people were all living happily, and would be back in the human world to replace this ashen rubble in a few hours.

Kuroi's subordinates had in fact never actually been poisoned, because there had been no easy, efficient way of getting all of them to be poisoned, and more than likely they'd be able to counter it. There was no toxin to which there was only one antidote. There had been risks. There had been plenty of scares. There had been plenty of close calls. But, Sozen had won in spite of all of it. He had conquered Cero after Cero, strike after strike, Primera Etapa, Segunda Etapa, and even Izanami. And he had beaten Kuroi.

Clenching his fist tightly in the air, Sozen knew that he had protected his family. He had saved everyone. Kuroi would not be coming back, because he'd been defeated. "Truth is, Kuroi, had it been one on one, I'd have lost," Sozen admitted. "You are stronger than I am. But I wasn't fighting alone. I had the strength of my entire family backing me up. That's how it was. Their combined resolve, determination, and unity were what drove me forward and allowed me to win."

Sozen paused a second for breath. He was actually very winded by speaking. His stamina was all but zero. The red world may still be up, but Sozen ventured to guess that he probably didn't have the stamina to raise any more blades from it. He was that depleted. Even twitching his fingers was impossible. It might even be impossible to lower his fist of his own volition. He simply kept it up because he didn't have the stamina to lower it. It was as if it was stuck up there forever.

"I'm not going to report the details behind this fight," Sozen said at last. "I won't tell anyone about your Segunda Etapa, or about Izanami, or about Muerte Lanzar. In exchange, I want you to keep away from my family. Don't attack us. And, I want you to stay away from Soul Society from now on too. Maybe Las Noches won't allow that, and if so, fine. I'm forbidding you from killing any more Soul Reapers. In exchange, I'll keep your secrets completely."

Something else had transpired out of this. In spite of everything, Sozen had chosen to be kind. Yes, he could have made it a lot simpler had he chosen to kill Kuroi in the end, but he hadn't. He had a feeling that Kuroi shouldn't die here, and that the Segunda Espada, matter of fact, played a very integral part in the world. Without him, the balance might shift away, and they would never be able to regain it. And so, upon stabbing Kuroi, despite all the wounds that he inflicted, Sozen intentionally missed the heart.

"Anyways, I'm sure that if you call your subordinates, they'll arrive here to pick you up," Sozen said. He hadn't killed Kuroi also because he had come to respect him. It wasn't that Sozen's rage at Kuroi's threat had diminished, or his hatred of Hollows and Arrancar had been reduced. It was just that he didn't feel the need to act on them. Kuroi had earned his respect not just as a combatant, but as a person. If they were to fight again, Sozen would probably lose, but for now, right here, he had won.

With both of them laying down defeated, Sozen's red world might just begin to retreat and shut itself off. Eventually, and at some point, a Senkai Gate would open up to collect Sozen. But, before any of that could happen, Kuroi would have to be gone. But, before Kuroi was gone, before Sozen left as well, and before the red world retracted and everything was said and done, Sozen had some parting words to the Segunda. "This was fun," Sozen said at the very end. "I'll fight you again any time you want, Kuroi."

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 0/1100 Reiatsu

Bankai Post Count: 1/10