Remember Me As I Was Not As I Am [NDE, R]

[Douma]

Thread Title: Remember Me As I Was Not As I Am [NDE, R]
Participants: Hotaru Kuchiki and Kagami Murai
World: Soul Society
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: R
Location: Rocky terrain miles from the nearest Rukongai in the Soul Society Wilderness. It's the middle of the day, and the weather is moderately warm.
Special Conditions: None
Circumstances: Hotaru can be considered one of Kagami's only true friends, but after his return to Soul Society, he's been too busy as a newly appointed Captain to catch up with her. One day, she received a message from Kagami to meet at this designated location. She arrives to find him waiting there.

[Douma]

The rocky terrain around Kagami was open and visible for miles around, making it impossible to hide. Scores of miles to the north lay mountain ranges as tall as the Himalayas in the human world. In the east, one may find a dry forest with trees as tall as skyscrapers. The rocky stretch of land continued indefinitely to the west, but if one looked hard enough toward the south, the small buildings of the Rukongai may be seen in the distance. That was the direction that Kagami faced as he waited, and that was the direction that Hotaru would come from.

Things had been busy in Soul Society. The defenses are low, the Shinigami forces are spread thin, and the new Captains are organizing their squads. The Gotei 13 is as chaotic as ever, Kagami ensured that this meeting was scheduled right as Hotaru’s work load decreased for the time being to make sure that she could make it.

After all, this wasn’t a meeting she wanted to miss. This should mean the world to her if memory served correctly. After all, it’s been a goal of Hotaru’s since she was a mere unseated officer. The second Kagami detected Hotaru’s reiatsu signature nearing, he would begin preparing Lights, Smoke, and Mirrors, releasing an odorless, invisible fog that Hotaru couldn’t even detect with energy sensory. He wasn’t going to go easy on her, and she certainly wouldn’t hold back against him. After all, other than the time and location, the only writing on the message to Hotaru read…

Let’s see if you can cut me yet.


Reiatsu Remaining: 9900/10000 (-100 for Lights, Smoke, and Mirrors)

Lights, Smoke, and Mirrors Preparation: 1/5

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats, Skills, and Items}

Stats

Strength - [100] Points (50)

Speed - [350] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] (1000) Points

Reiatsu Strength - [50] Points

Light Aura - [65] Points

Dark Aura - [35] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses - [100] Points

Energy sensory - [400] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1600] Points

Abilities

• [Weapons: Sword] {3}
  
  
• [War Strategy] {3}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Leadership/Charisma] {2}
  
  
• [Mental Incantation] {2}
  
  

Items:
15 Kunai
10 Shuriken
1 Giant Shuriken
5 Kunai Clips
5 Full Body Condoms
Blood Cross
Artificial Zanpakuto - Kagebokkusu

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru was in her office, winding down towards the end of another long day of captain's paperwork. She knew that captaincy would entail a lot of paperwork, but this was starting to border on torturous amounts of it. She took a breath and rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying to lessen the headache she was getting. She blamed the paperwork, which cause the strain on her eyes, which was causing the minor headache. Since she was getting them fairly often now, she took a pain pill to help.

It was then that she heard a little rap on her door. She looked up and saw that a messenger was poking his head in. She smiled towards him. "I have an open door policy. There is no need to knock. If I didn't want to be bothered, I would just shut my door. What is the message that you have for me?" He walked in and that's when she noticed the number thirteen on his jacket. So, he was from Kagami's squad. She was curious how her friend was doing and had been meaning to check on him.

He handed her an envelope and left her office. She saw her name on the front and then turned the envelope over to quickly open it. Once she opened it, she saw that there was a location and a time on the card. She read the message, Let's see if you can cut me yet. It was the message that made her immediately think, and know, that Kagami was sending for her. He told her that they would meet on the battlefield again if she could cut him.

Hotaru immediately put on her Haori, locked up her office and left a sign, saying that she was away on important business. She hurried out of her office and once she cleared the barracks, she started to Shunpo off to the area that Kagami had told her to go to. Since the time was now, she hoped that he hadn't been waiting too long. She walked towards Kagami, who she could see fairly clearly. Her Haori was billowing behind her and she finally saw Kagami, also in a captain Haori.

"Hello, Kagami-senpai. It's been awhile since we've seen each other. The last time I saw you, you were in the hospital. I'm glad that you're feeling better. How are you? I haven't seen you around lately and was getting a little worried. But, you're a captain now, and you should be fine, though I'm not sure if you are. Please remember that I'm always here for you as a friend, Kagami-senpai. But, I am curious if I can cut you now as well." She then unsheathed her zanpaktou and held it at her side, staring at her first teacher in this new world, waiting.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Strength - 150 (112) Points.
Speed - 400 (700) Points.
Spiritual Pressure – 400 (300) Points.
Reiatsu Strength – 400 (700) Points.
Instinct - [150] Points.
Senses - [150] Points.
Energy sensory - [50] Points
Healing Expertise - [0] Points

[Weapons: Swords] 3
[Pain Tolerance] 3
[Bleeding Tolerance] 2
[Damage Recovery] 3
[Anti-Pain] 3
[Special: Hoho] 3

[Douma]

Hotaru drew near, and Kagami rose from his seated position to meet her. Both of them wore matching Captain’s Haori’s, though the symbols of the squads varied. They were both Captains. My, my, how far they had come. Kagami remembered the first meeting they had, when Hotaru was nothing but a naïve Shinigami equipped with a sword and little knowledge on how to use it. But now, it was different. They were at the top of Soul Society. Hotaru had come so far, but the question was if she had come far enough to match Kagami.

"Hello, Kagami-senpai. It's been awhile since we've seen each other. The last time I saw you, you were in the hospital. I'm glad that you're feeling better. How are you? I haven't seen you around lately and was getting a little worried. But, you're a captain now, and you should be fine, though I'm not sure if you are. Please remember that I'm always here for you as a friend, Kagami-senpai. But, I am curious if I can cut you now as well." Hotaru hadn’t changed in the year that Kagami hadn’t seen her. She was still worried about her former Vice Captain and, more importantly, friend. It almost warmed Kagami’s heart, but his chest was empty. There was nothing there after Manami burned a hole through it.

Kagami raised his sword toward the sky for Hotaru to see and held it there for several seconds before slowly sliding the katana back into its sheath. It was a message. Prove to me that I need to use my Zanpakuto, he seemed to tell her. This was all a challenge of Hotaru’s strength. The 13th Division Captain let his Haori fall to the ground, exposing his bare upper body. His upper body was defined, though not particularly muscular. However, what might stick out to Hotaru was the light ring of skin at the center of his chest. It was the scar he suffered from his confrontation with Adalo and Manami.

Kagami took on a boxing stance, his left foot forward and right foot to the side pointing diagonally. However, his arms didn't match that of a boxer. They remained comfortably at his side. “I’m perfectly fine, Hotaru, though I appreciate your concern. However, this meeting isn’t about me. It’s about you. Show me that you’ve made progress since I first met you. Show me that you have the ability and the skill to cut me. The time to catch up will come later, but for now, consider this a test. Your final exam. Don’t fail.”

Reiatsu Remaining: 9800/10,000 (-100 for Lights, Smoke, and Mirrors)

Lights, Smoke, and Mirrors Preparation: 1/5

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Kagami stood up while she made her way over to him. It had been awhile since she had seen him. He seemed to disappear after what happened with Manami. Though, she didn't blame the man. When it happened, to a certain extent, with her and Asmoskon, she drove to drinking to the point of pretty much being drunk all the time. They were able to reconcile and fix the problems. There were still issues, but they slowly worked through everything and their relationship was stronger for it.

She was there when Manami literally shot Kagami through the heart. Thankfully, his heart was missed and he survived, but she figured that something would change about him when he healed. She looked at his chest and saw the top of the scar from what Manami did to him. She felt bad for him, what had happened to him. Though, she couldn't help with that part, he would need to heal himself in that aspect. Although, Hotaru would always be there for him when he needed her.

He had unsheathed his sword and then raised it over his head. Hotaru kept her eyes on him, mostly on his arms, to see if he was going to try any new techniques. He then sheathed his zanpaktou. Hotaru raised an eyebrow at the motion. When they first met, they had sparred together, both using weapons. Now, he wanted her to make him use his weapon, ramping up their test. It reminded her of the test she had to take to get the Vice Captaincy for the Third Division.

She smiled a little at that movement. She was ready to show her new skill. Then, Kagami took off his Haori and she was able to see his naked upper body. He was well defined, with not too much muscle, which suited him nicely. She then saw the scar from Manami and felt a little sad. She really hoped that he would be able to deal with the pain of what had happened to him, but she could only do so much. Hotaru then started to take her Haori off, taking her left arm out before leaning slightly to the right, it sliding off the rest of the way.

Even though he was a friend, Hotaru didn't want to let her zanpaktou go. She might dull it by shoving it in the ground and to just sheathe it to unsheathe it again was redundant. After her Haori off, Kagami would see her normal uniform, her tattoo now showing on her right arm. He took a good stance, keeping him balanced and grounded, but left his arms at his side. Hotaru didn't know much hand to hand, so she didn't know if this was an actual form or not.

Kagami told her that he was fine and that he appreciated the concern. But, the meeting was about her and to see how far she's come. They would catch up more after the fight was over and that this was a final exam to see if she had the ability and skill to cut me. He told her not to fail and she would try her best not too. She nodded her agreement, and put her zanpaktou straight in front of her. She was going to quickly think on what she could do.

One attack came to mind and she thought that it would be interesting to actually use it against him. She didn't know how much stronger he had become, but she was sure that she would be able to keep up with him. Well, she hoped she could. She started to run towards him at full speed, bending her arm while she was running. Once she got close, she would slice out, trying to hit him on the left side with her blade. Before it touched, however, she would flip her wrist upwards and try for an upwards slash.

OOC: I forgot to put in the items she would be carrying with her. Here's the list. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Items}
Medium Reiatsu Orb
Large Reiatsu Orb x2
Flame Aura Orb: Shakkaho
Water Aura Orb: Gouzen Demizu
Wind Aura Orb: Surasutoeria
Steel Aura Orb: Tetsu Supaiku
Electrical Aura Orb: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho
Fire Aura Orb: Soukahou
Wind Aura Orb: Aspect of Wind
Water Aura Orb: Aspect of Water
Stone Aura Orb: Aspect of Stone
Carrier Belt
Secret Glove
Reiatsu Concealing Cloak

[Douma]

Hotaru finally got the ball rolling, and damn she was fast. Kagami had a hard time keeping up, for in a second, she had closed the gap between them and prepared an attack. Kagami himself moved with super human speed as well, but he wasn’t fast enough to compete with Hotaru. She was going for the slash, and Kagami was ready. He had his right hand prepared at his right side with its elbow bent at a 45 degree angle. To ensure that he covered all corners of his defense, Kagami’s left hand was positioned similarly and slightly upward, though his footing made his left side closer to Hotaru than his right.

Now, how on Earth was Kagami supposed to parry her blade without a sword? He sure looked like he was ready for a fight, but you can’t bring your fists to a knife fight. It all looked like Hotaru was going to get the first hit, for she had already committed on an easy, open attack against her former teacher. Had she really already surpassed him? The blade was wizzing toward Kagami's torso with no barriers between it and the Captain. Was he really going to get struck down so easily? As the blade sped by, it looked like the situation was hopeless for Kagami, when suddenly...

CLANK!

Suddenly, Kagami was holding a plain, silver long sword in his left hand that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It's design was extremely simple -- a gold hilt and guard with a straight, double-edged blade. It was because of its simplicity that Kagami was able to summon it with little to no time at all. It had the durability of his Zanpakuto, though in the end, it was nothing more than a simple blade. That was all he needed for the moment.

However, Hotaru was in trouble. Just as Kagami parried her attack with the sword in his left hand, his right hand already began a slash at her bare, exposed left ribs. After all, it's hard to keep yourself defended when committing to an attack. Kagami's weight was balanced between his feet, but his right foot was on its toes, allowing him to quickly step away with Shunpo if the need be. However, he doubted that it would come to that. The goal was to prove to Hotaru that he was a better swordsman and that she hadnt' quite caught up yet. Her objective was to show the opposite. Despite the friendly relationship they have, Kagami and Hotaru were enemies for this fight, and they would have to treat each other as such.

If Hotaru broke away, Kagami would also back off and take the opportunity to speak. “Just when I thought I taught you something, Hotaru. Is that any way to cut me?” The Captain danced backward jauntily. "You owe me a thank you, by the way. You remembered that faint I taught you, but you forgot what happened when you tried to cut me without a release. If you want to be able to move those arms of yours, you'll have to get smarter than that. Try again." Kagami was giving the Hotaru the opportunity to launch another offensive. However, this time, she may notice something different. Water was rising at a rapid rate all around for a quarter mile. It didn't stop until it went over their knees. She may find that moving through the water is challenging, and both their speeds would be limited to 300. Kagami just evened up the playing field.

Reiatsu Remaining: 9600/10,000 (-100 for LSM, -100 for Ripple Level 2)

LSM Preparation: 3/5

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru went in for the strike, hoping that it would hit. But, with her past experience of fighting him, she knew that her attack might not work. So, lo and behold, when he was able to block her attack, she wasn't too surprised. He deserved his rank of Captain just as much as she did. He also used a weapon that wasn't his zanpaktou, just like he did the first time they fought, using a Kunai if she remembered correctly, and not even using his zanpaktou until the end of the match. It was hard fought then and she had no doubts that it would be hard fought now.

She wasn't going to go easy on her Senpai. Though, she really didn't need to call him that anymore. But, he really was the first shinigami that had taught her anything, so it was still fitting that she call him that, even if it didn't really work like that anymore. Kagami would always be someone special to her, no matter what happened between them. The blade that he blocked her zanpaktou with was simple, but still elegant. She knew that there had to be another attack coming from somewhere, it's the way that he operated.

Well, at least the way he did the last time they fought. She then realized that she had left herself open on the left, which was always a mistake. It was then that she thought she saw a flicker of movement off to her left side. Her instincts kicked in then and right after she made contact with the first blade, she would quickly take one step back and block the next incoming blade. She thanked herself for her instincts, those that had been honed over all of her fighting experiences. Once she blocked that one, Kagami took a few steps back.

While he did that, Hotaru looked at him, holding her sword in her right hand, down at a 45 degree angle. She smiled at him while he spoke. Any way to cut him indeed. It was true that she needed to step up her game. It's why while he spoke, she had said the release phrase for her Shikai under her breath. So, by the time he was done talking, her Shikai was released and pointed her canon at Kagami's face. "You do have a point, Kagami-senpai. But, don't forget that this time, I have both releases and I'm stronger than I was. It will take more than you think to actually hurt me now, thanks to Sozen-sama."

With that, she quickly made a grenade in her hand. Right after it was made, she let the canon set loose her liquid, not yet lit, with her newly made grenade in it, completely covered with the liquid. She had a good idea that he would avoid, but she also noticed that there was now water around them, evening their speed. She was now slower, so she had to try to think outside the box. This way, her liquid would be around a bigger area, giving her more opportunity to actually hit the Captain. She smiled while her canon worked, keeping her sword in the same position, ready for a strike.

OOC: Remaining Reiatsu: 2800/3000 -150 for Shikai and -50 for grenade. Shikai 1/10

[Douma]

Hotaru was fast, and her speed saved her from a sneak attack. After all, Kagami was an expert when it came to deception. One second he was unarmed, and then bam! He had two swords, one to block with and the other to cut with. If he was faster or used Shunpo Karin, Hotaru would have been sliced in two. However, that wasn’t what this fight was about. She was capable of recovering, blocking, and backing away, and that’s what he wanted. After all, this was a test. She hadn’t even gotten past the first stage of it.

Hotaru’s shikai came out just as the water rose to their knees and stopped its climb. So, things were starting to get serious now. Her Zanpakuto was coming into play, and if memory served its purpose, her fighting style would change completely. She became less focused on direct confrontation and more on keeping a distance while using explosives and flames. "You do have a point, Kagami-senpai. But, don't forget that this time, I have both releases and I'm stronger than I was. It will take more than you think to actually hurt me now, thanks to Sozen-sama." Oh, if she thought her releases alone were enough to win, Hotaru would be in for a surprise.

Kagami backed away as she spoke to him, giving himself a nice twenty meter gap to avoid whatever she threw at him. He sensed her grenades form before they were ready to be thrown and watched as she coated them with liquid. His eyes were like those of a hawk and he studied every move she made. Every twitched of her hand. Every breath she took. Every influx of reiatsu. He saw it all, and he was prepared. He knew what was to come. After all, he witnessed her fight with Takashi. She ignited the liquid into huge flames. The grenades exploded dangerously. He would have to handle himself with care.

And so he did. When the grenade was launched, Kagami left blade was ready. He pivoted back with his right foot as an anchor. In doing so, he was able to parry and redirect the liquid grenade slightly to the side, moving it out of his way. This prevented the liquid from splashing over him, though some would get on his sword. That was insignificant, however, because if she ignited it, it wouldn’t burn Kagami or damage the weapon. She would have to do something else if she wanted to get any damage in.

And so Kagami slowly walked toward her, taking it only a step at a time. He wouldn’t get more than ten meters closer from Hotaru, half the distance, but he didn’t need to. She would come to him. “You see, Hotaru, that’s the exact reason why you can’t beat me today. Why you may never beat me ever. Sozen trained you. The Vizard killer. The man who defeated Kuroi. The Crimson King. You’re in his shadow. You’re using the tricks he made for you. And what about me? Everything I’ve ever done, I did it on my own. I’m a self-taught prodigy, a genius. I cast my own shadow, and it’s enormous.”

Maybe those words were cruel, but Kagami had become a cruel person. He was a killer. A criminal. A liar. But this time, he was telling the truth. Hotaru was going to have to do a lot better to satisfy her former teacher. Her friend. Kagami rose his swords in front of him and prepared for Hotaru’s inevitable attack. “So c’mon over and show me if Sozen taught you how to use a sword.”

LSM Preparation: 4/5

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru watched as her grenade was reflected by Kagami's blade. Honestly, she wasn't too surprised that Kagami could easily deflect her grenade. The only reason she threw the grenade was to see if she could A. get any kind of liquid on Kagami at all and B. to see how he would react. She noticed that when he did deflect it, some liquid was able to land on his sword, but it was pretty inconsequential. She needed the liquid to actually land on a piece of clothing or on his exposed skin. Landing on metal would make no difference in this fight.

He gave himself a good twenty meter gap while he deflected the grenade, making sure that it would be harder to actually hit him. Kagami knew what he was doing and there was no wonder why he was a Captain now. He slowly walked towards her after he deflected the grenade. She had no idea why he did the slow walk towards her, but whatever worked. She got into her normal stance for Shikai. Her right arm was now bent, the tip of her sword was angled towards her left shoulder and the hilt towards her right hip. Her left arm was pointed downwards, under the sword, giving her enough space to move it wherever she needed it to go. The cannon started to leak liquid all over the floor.

She then listened to what he had to say. He pretty much told her that because Sozen trained her, she would never be able to beat him. He made the tricks that she uses and because of this, it could be said that she was in his shadow. But, he learned everything on his own, making him, in his opinion, much better than her. Hotaru tightened her grip on her sword and glared towards Kagami. He had never been like this before and there was honestly only one reason that she could think of that he would be this way.

He was readying when he said if Sozen taught me how to use a sword. "Manami effected you a lot more than I thought. I should've known better when the same thing happened to me. It seemed what happened to my Asmoskon happened to you. I am sorry about what happened with you and her. I do wish that things are fixed between the two of you, but there is no reason to say what you did. The most I learned from Sozen-sama was how to endure pain. Do not assume to understand what training with him entails.

I know how to use a sword, Sozen-sama didn't need to teach me. You actually taught me more about how to strike with a sword than he has. Sozen-sama works more with my reaction time and things of that sort more than actual strikes and swordplay. If you really want to see how I use a sword, come here and see how I'll take your attack, Kagami-senpai." During this entire talk, a liquid pool started to form around her feet. She would guess that the pool was about three meters around her. Right when she stopped talking, she would immediately move her left arm up and shoot liquid at Kagami, with the sword still above the cannon, so she could move it.

OOC: Shikai 2/10

[Douma]

"Manami effected you a lot more than I thought.”

It had happened already. Hotaru crossed the line. She was bound to address the Adalo incident sooner or later, especially because of Manami’s role in the event. However, Kagami didn’t want any of it. He was beyond furious. Hotaru kept talking, and Kagami heard the words, but he wasn’t listening. They were just syllables droning in the back of his mind as he coped with his anger. And how did he cope with his anger? He identified the source and put together a plan to take it apart. In this case, that source was Hotaru.

While Hotaru was talking and she attempted to put together a pool of liquid around herself, she neglected to recall that there wasn’t dry ground below her. In fact, it was all wet from the water that Kagami summoned recently for their fight. It would slow them both down to a speed of 300 when they tried to move through it, but it did far more in this case. Hotaru’s liquid had a chemical build up parallel to an oil considering that she could light it in flames, and that kept it from mixing with the water. The pool was still there, but it was just on the surface of the water rather than on the ground. The water might even prevent Hotaru from lighting it.

Kagami waited and waited, focusing his anger on his target. He didn’t act first. Instead, he let Hotaru come to him. She made the first move by shooting more liquid at him, but he was prepared. The sword in his right hand vanished suddenly, leaving him momentarily vulnerable as the liquid was speeding towards him. Right before it hit, a barrier formed in Kagami’s hand. It was a Riot shield, like the ones you’d see police officers carrying to push back violent protestors. It easily sufficed for blocking the spray of liquid.

As her oil mixed into the water, Kagami acted. As quickly as it had appeared, the riot shield vanished and Kagami took action. He was running toward Hotaru, but not directly. His path was to her right, and when he rushed her, he would do so at a speed of 300, moving as quickly as the water would allow. When he got within twenty feet, he did something a little strange. He leaned to the side a bit and jumped so that his feet would just be an inche over the surface of the water. However, because he was leaning, the tip of the blade in his left hand was still submerged.

Through that sword, he cast Hado #42 to flash freeze the water completely. And that’s how he decided to trap her. She was stuck moving at Kagami’s speed, and because she wouldn’t be able to react in time, the ice around her would trap her. She’d have to light the flames around herself in order to melt the ice and get out. As she did so, though, she would have to be careful. Kagami had drawn three kunai and threw that at her, targeting her upper body with all three. His accuracy wasn’t perfect, but he was bound to distract her as a pillar of stone shot out from the ground behind her with 500 speed, breaking through the ice and smashing into her back with a force of 300.

Kagami wasn’t attacking himself just yet. He had to get her into a situation where she was vulnerable, where there was no accumulation of flammable liquid below her. Where he could pick her apart. For now, it was just moving her slowly into a tight corner where he would defeat her ultimately. Kagami was angry, and Hotaru was going to have to defend herself or he was going to remind her who she was fighting. He wouldn’t let her bring Manami up. He couldn’t handle it. He won’t let her.

Reiatsu Remaining: 9300/10,000 (-50 for Spiritual Projection with the Riot Shield, -100 for Ripple Level 2 -100 for Hado #42, -100 for LSM Preparation)

LSM Preparation: 5/5

[Douma]

(( OOC: Don't You Forget About Me ))

[Zeich Yajuu]

Since this was ended incomplete, there is no reward for winning.

Kagami - 250 TP
Hotaru - 220 TP