The Fullbringers: Blood Sanction [PG13, Medium, NDE]

[Douma]

As Kouen flew toward the ceiling and engulfed himself in flames, Douma began to feel what he was doing. His abilities suddenly had no effect. Kouen wasn’t getting any heavier. Even Wrath of Ira had suddenly been purged of his system. It’s like he took a bath in his fire, washing away all the negative effects that might be imposed on him. Worst of all, just after Douma’s energy sensory discerned this information, he suddenly hit a mental wall that made his head throb. It stunned him for a split second, but it also cut off his ability to peak into Kouen’s soul. He was limited to detecting pure reiatsu movement. It was a small limitation, but it wasn’t insignificant.

As Douma was distracted by the mental attack, Kouen sent a firey cero right toward him. However, the Rogue would have more than enough time to react to the attack. Even if his energy sensory was suppressed, Douma couldn’t ignore the flash of white that lit up the room around him as the cero was formed and launched. Without moving, he suddenly sunk into the ground, disappearing and moving with a far greater speed than possible on his own to dodge the attack before the Cero blew a crater into the ground. He stayed in the in the concrete as Kouen sprayed his flames around the room.

However, as Douma hid away, his energy sensory analyzed the room while his vision wasn’t available to him. He noticed something peculiar. The fire had a new aura around it, one more powerful than the raw flames. In fact, it was strong enough to literally burn the back zone away. The entire room had been purged of Douma’s Dark World ability. In fact, as the last segment of Dark World was cleansed from the floor, Douma emerged from it, launching himself into the air, where he hovered on a platform of air ground to avoid the fire on the ground.

Douma silently faced the man, giving him the opportunity to speak. "Surprised? This is my ability. Fire of Purification. (純度の火) Status altering powers like your dark world will never work on me. After all, my intent once was to go after Kuroi himself, a man much more powerful than you." Douma began to understand the position he is. Kouen would prove bothersome, but he still wasn’t above Douma. The fight would be long, but Douma could definitely emerge victor if he played his cards right. However, it would be a tiring effort that left him drained of reiatsu and stamina, and Kouen wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t going to forget who the real enemy is.

Immediately after Kouen finished speaking, Douma spoke, not giving the Fullbringer any opportunity to launch a second assault without hearing out the masked man. “Wait,” Douma told him. And as he did, he slowly raised both his hands and sword above his head in surrender. “I give up. You’re powerful, and this fight is not worth it. As we battle, your leader and allies are facing far more fearsome opponents than I. They need your assistance. In fact, they may benefit from my assistance as well.”

Wait, is Douma switching sides? Even when that puts him against the likes of Axel Johnson, Darnell, and Maxtrillion, all of which are either close to his power level or above it? Of course, he didn’t make such a decision lightly. Two recent piece of knowledge had the most impact on his change of heart. The first was Kouen’s display of power. It wasn’t just that he was strong. The issue was how well he countered Douma’s abilities, making any battle they have difficult and prolonged. It would strain him too much and prevent him from impacting the rest of the events that followed as much as he’d preferred.

The other was the arrival of a very notable reiatsu signature, one that belonged to the most spiritually powerful member of the Espada. Ryunsouke, for whatever reason, had joined the fight. Douma felt his presence directly behind Darnell’s, and he his soul felt distinctly aggressive. Maxtrillion and Axel had arrived too, so Shizuka, the Don, and Ryunosuke were about to engage in an even three-on-three fight. Now, Douma had the power to tip the scale against Kayneth Wayne.

“The group under Kanyeth Wayne, my employer, is powerful. Too powerful for your party to handle alone. However, Shizuka and I are allies, and fortunately, I am also allied with the Segunda Espada who had just arrived to battle Kayneth Wayne’s team. If we end our battle, I am more than happy to assist your company instead. I know that it isn’t wise to trust a traitor, but I am your best option. Will you accept my offer?”

Reiatsu Remaining: 8100/10,000 (-400 for sinking into and then leaving the ground)

Class 2 Bakkoto Post Count: 3/3

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

As Kouen handed a highly exhausted Shizuka the water bottle, he advised her to drink all of it and rest. She gladly took his words to heart and stop concentrating on her failures, instead turning her mind towards new possibilities. She didn't know Ken yet and wasn't even close to mastering it, but she would one day. It was nice of this man to be so focused on training her for now, and even more so with the amount of care he was putting into her health and well-being. He offered her a bunch of really nice things, including a hot shower and some food. Shizuka's ears perked up as soon as he said "meals," so she knew where she was headed first. Well, maybe second. She really did need to shower.

I wonder why he's being so kind to me, Shizuka thought to herself as she made her way up to her temporary living space. She was incredibly thankful that he was, of course, but it struck her as a bit odd. She had no personal relation towards him or the Siciliana family. The only remote similarity she shared with them was the fact that she was half Italian, herself. She definitely looked more Italian than Japanese, but her name would say otherwise. Honestly, most people took her for European, anyway. She must have just gotten more dominant genes from her father since he took her mother's last name.

When the blonde finally reached the room, surprised at the fact that it didn't take very long to get there in the first place, she looked around and smiled as widely as she could muster. This girl was truly spoiled. She was so blessed because the entire place looked like some kind of luxury hotel suite. All of the furniture was made from the finest Italian fabrics and nothing was out of place. Most of the decorations looked very European in style and somewhat Tuscan in nature, but she loved it. This room reminded her of her own home back in Karakura, and not the apartment she was staying in. No, this was like her real home. It was lovely.

Shizuka made full use of everything Kouen had offered for her. The shower was the most relaxing thing she'd done in what felt like years, and as she sat around with a towel wrapping her torso and one twisted up in her hair, the Fullbringer gladly ate most of the meals that were stored away. She couldn't help herself, though! She was starving and she felt like she was going to die any second! A girl's gotta eat, right? And she really needed to. Her stomach was so loud that she was sure Kouen heard it at some point. She had gotten used to her vocal belly but that didn't mean she enjoyed it.

In no time, however, Shizuka got ready for bed and allowed herself to drift off into sleep and rest her tired body. Dreams came and went, some she was aware of and others that she'd never remember. Surprisingly enough, she didn't fully wake up at any point during the night. Someone must have been keeping a good watch over everybody because she would have flipped if anyone excited her too much and startled her awake. She didn't like that weird feeling she got when she was woken up super suddenly. But soon enough, the day came back into her life and light filled the room around her. Time to start training again!

Or so she thought. The training, alone, felt like enough to kill her. Shizuka was so tired from the day before that her strength wasn't working with her very well the following day. She felt like she needed more rest, but Shizuka wanted Kouen to feel proud of her as her teacher of sorts, and she didn't want to disappoint her employers. Unfortunately for her, though, the training would have to pause because she watched as Kouen obviously noticed something around them that she did not. She asked what was going on, but he was way too focused. Something had to be wrong here, and they needed to go find out what it was.

Before they got anywhere, though, an explosion boomed its ways into Shizuka's ears. She gasped and followed Kouen back upstairs, though she didn't use Bringer Light so she was a bit slower. Still, the distance wasn't too far, so she made it in time to see Kouen use his own Ken to intimidate the really weird, super crude people who randomly decided to show up out of no where. Oh, wait. They weren't random. Shizuka was watching these guys just the other day! Why were they here? Obviously they had bad intentions, but what was causing their strife? Kouen was definitely ready to defend his respective side, and Shizuka blushed in response to his power. It was more of a reaction to him being admirable than anything else, but it was still so familiar to her. He reminded her so much of Kento.

Sadly, the feeling didn't last long. Kouen's Ken was blown away by that of Darnell's, and this man's ability was forcing Shizuka to relive images of Kento dying in front of her. She knew she never saw the real act, but she hated thinking about it. She hated knowing about it. She felt rage and sorrow well up again inside of her, but she tried, desperately, to repress all of it. Shizuka wouldn't ever be strong enough to fight if she was going to let these feelings get to her, but Darnell was too powerful. The images came anyway and overflowed her mind, tearing it apart to pieces just as it had been with Douma.

Upon Darnell's order to kill Don Costello, Douma stepped forward and began his assault. Shizuka gave him her famous "Are you fucking kidding me?" look, which probably didn't surprise him. Truth be told, she wasn't sure how she felt about this guy. She sorta trusted him, sorta didn't. She wanted to like him, but he was Shinigami trash. So where did that leave her? Well, in this case, it left her with one option. Get the hell out of there. Shizuka barely even had time to twitch herself in the right direction to move before she was in another spot completely. She blinked once, moved her eyes to look around, then blinked again and stared blankly at Kouen. Wait, Don Costello was there, too! When did he do this?

She'd never get the answer, though, because Kouen propelled himself back inside the building to defend his people. Shizuka smiled for a moment and then turned to the Prime Minister, graciously bowing her head before him. Though the motion itself didn't last long, she knew that she and this man would be on the same page. She was thanking him for being good and kind to her, and likewise offering her services of protection. She was worried about how she'd be able to handle herself, but Shizuka wasn't weak. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure this man stayed alive.

Oh but don't worry, the moment passed when everything was ruined by Darnell's sudden presence. Shizuka groaned audibly and turned around, obviously annoyed by him even being there. Her action could easily be compared to that of a kid not wanting to do her chores, or someone looking at something they had to do and saying "That sounds like work." He was weirdly smiling at the two of them, but his eyes scanned over Shizuka and she immediately got some weird chills up her spine. Great, so he's one of those guys. Shizuka really didn't need this right now. And to make matters worse, he actually started talking.

"Yo gurl, lookin' DAYUM fine in that formal-wear. But, yo... I heard from mah nigga, young Trill, that you don't know Ken... That true, gurl? Cause yo, you can't beat me if you ain't even got a basic ass move like that... Step aside and run away n' I'll let you live."

"Oh my gods, what the hell are you even saying." It sounded like more of a statement than a question. Shizuka then turned to Don Costello and asked, "Is he speaking english? Do you know? Like, are those english words?"

Darnell pulled out a gun, and the familiar sound of metal moving against metal piqued Shizuka's interest. This forced her to focus directly on the gun, analyzing every inch of it as much as she could. She knew the model very well and could even use it against him if she ever got her hands on it. That would be pretty nice. Still, she was sure that Darnell had some kind of way to avoid guns since he obviously liked using them, but Shizuka raised her hands up and smiled, instead, acting strangely thankful and kind towards him. She positioned her body as if she was accepting a gift from someone.

"Oh, thank goodness! Is that a gun? Oh my gosh. Okay, good. Are you good at using that thing? Oh, man, okay, so I've been, like, literally begging to die. You're basically making my day here. Shoot it, I dare you."

What was her angle in all of this? She didn't even really know. Honestly, she was kind of throwing a bone to nothing. She was stalling in hopes that Kouen would come back because she was pretty much a lost cause here. The Prime Minister would likely not respond well to how she was acting, but Shizuka did her typical habit of playing with her hair from behind her head. Her left hand was resting against her hip while her right hand was hidden in back of her, but she gave the man a thumbs up to tell him that she had everything under control. Or, actually, it was to make him think that. At least if she got shot, he'd be okay.

Almost like she somehow knew it was going to happen, though, another person stepped into the fray! Oh, wow! What are the odds?! Shizuka sighed and clutched at her chest, thankful that she didn't have to deal with Darnell. This man was able to threaten the gang member and stop his attack just by being ferocious! Well, that, and gripping onto his arm like nobody's business. Shizuka heard another small clack of metal against metal and knew that there must have been a gun against Darnell's back. That was fine. That was all fine. Everything was fine. Everything was dandy. The world was blessed. Shizuka was blessed. What a life.

"Hey, Miss Seven Guns." Shizuka tipped her imaginary fedora as a salute to her savior. "Can you deliver Satsujun a message for me?"

"I don't even know the guy, but sure!"

"Tell him not hiring me was a fucking massive mistake."

"Oof. Okay, Grumpy Cat. You want some fries with that salt?"

Shizuka didn't know what the fuck was going on. Everything was happening super quickly, almost as if people on some outer plane were controlling what was going on and making things extremely difficult on her and her entire life. She glared off into space, though for some reason, she knew that if anyone were watching or reading or whatever it was they were doing, they'd feel a weird sensation that she knew. She knew, and she was just going along with it. Somehow, somewhere, someone was looking out for her and she was fine with it. Everything was just going according to some weird plan.

Darnell obviously didn't take well to Shizuka's quips or this random guy's advantage because he was looking super annoyed. Shizuka was about to dish out some more disses somehow, but Darnell disappeared and was replaced with... Wait. Was that a grenade? Shizuka could barely react but she pushed the Prime Minister to the ground behind the both of them and shielded him with her own body. She apologized profusely but hoped he understood, given the situation. Her hearing was impaired for a little while, but she was able to gradually gain it back. She threw some of her Movement in to acquire a bit of distance, reducing the amount of damage done. She wasn't hurt too bad, aside from a few scratches and bruises. At least she kept the Don safe.

As she helped herself and her employer up and off the ground, Darnell made himself clear that his intent was to destroy everybody. His yelling and screaming and serious temper tantrums were difficult to ignore, and Shizuka found herself groaning once again at the fact that he just made her so miffed. Why was he even so mad all the time? He had gold teeth. Wasn't that cool enough? Was he good enough for the big kids to play with? Jeez, Shizuka just couldn't figure this guy out. Then again, she also wasn't taking him seriously when she should have. His threat came in loud and clear.

"I'm pissed now, so I'mma vent by cutting you up now, ight?"

"Oh, son of a BITCH!"

As she spoke, she simultaneously stretched Don Costello's left arm over her neck to get him to be as close to her as possible as she immediately used Bringer Light upon ending her sentence. She distanced herself, along with the Prime Minister, to an open area roughly three miles east of where they had been. She focused on her direction enough to get them both out of there, but she was terrified of being followed. Hoping the space was enough, she checked up on the Don to make sure he was okay. He was her priority, and even though she was sure he'd be fine on his own, she wanted to protect him.

"Sir, you'll have to forgive me for my behavior. The way I combat my own nervousness and anxiety is through humor, so I tend to act strangely if I am threatened or scared. And, quite frankly, that man was more powerful than me. With my own ability of Ken being so undertrained as of now, I needed to find a way to remove you from that area. I hope you understand."

Calm and genuine, Shizuka wanted this man to hear her words and believe her. Nothing she said was a lie and she truly did want to fight for him. Maybe it was out of her own Italian pride, but this was important to her. She trusted Kouen to be able to handle himself and had a really good feeling about him. She was fairly naturally intuitive, though it wasn't enough to give her the upper hand in anything, but it was enough to know if she could believe in someone's strength or not. Kouen was strong, and she knew it. He would be fine. Honestly, it was Douma she was worried about. What was she going to do if her only ally in her quest against the Gotei 13 perished?



Shizuka's Remaining Reiatsu: 4925 (-25 for Movement, -50 for Bringer Light)

[Kento Waffles]

Kouen's eyes widened at what Douma said, and stayed wide throughout Douma speaking. Afterward, they narrowed in rage. What Douma would suddenly experience was an incredibly aura that had oceans and oceans of emotion behind it. It was something Douma himself was not capable of simply because he had become a more empty, pragmatic soul. It was much more akin to what Kagami Murai would have been able to do, this ocean of feelings. It was rage, anger. It was enough to convey that Douma had said or done something to really set off Kouen, who looked as if at any moment, he might snap and try to murder Douma with his bare hands or in some other equally brutal way.

Start music here

"You..." he said, his body and voice shaking. "You would betray your allies...? Your comrades? I don't care how little time you've known them, or that you're only with them out of convenience, pragmatism, or because they pay you... Those are the guys fighting alongside you. Whatever the circumstances, anyone who would betray an ally is the lowest of scum. I worked under Kuroi Naito, an Arrancar whose goal is to inflict despair upon everyone in the world, and not even he was someone that would consider betrayal of an ally lightly like you... You, whoever you are... You're the most abominable of garbage." Kouen, shaking, closed his eyes, exhaled, and steeled himself. His reiatsu settled down.

"I'll accept your offer right now," Kouen said. "But after we've finished with them, you'd better be ready, because I'm going to kill you when it's all over." What he said bore a killing intent unlike any that Douma would have experienced up until now. This guy was somehow so genuine. Was this what it was like to see someone that was so green for the first time? Kouen, accepting Douma's request, flew past him immediately via propulsion, and appeared outside with Shizuka, the Prime Minister, and the rest. With eyes like fire, he whirled around and looked upon his enemies with a terrifying rage. This here was an incredible guy, well above the ordinary level of the Fullbringer.

"Don Costello," Kouen said. "I will protect you with my life. That is a promise." A truly cheesy guy. At that moment, as if Shizuka had been given a queue in the form of the new Segunda Espada and now Kouen, she vanished with Bringer Light and took him with her. With them out of the way, there remained Ryunosuke and Douma with Kouen, facing off against Darnell, Maxitrillion, and Axel Johnson. Darnell exhaled all the more loudly, his mind working quickly to throw everything together and understand. "This kinda shit," Darnell said. "This is why I only invite real homies to my barbecues. Fuck this, man. FUCK this." He looked genuinely annoyed, terribly angered.

"OG Lush, you fuckin' Halloween bitch. I let you live that time ya'll were fuckin' spying on us, n' this is what I get? Fuck sake, OG Lush. Fuck sake. Ight ight igh ight ight. It ain't all bad as all that. Nah it ain't nah it ain't... I got this, we got this we got this... Axel, take fucking care of salty ass mothafucka, OG Lush Fuck, n' preppy bitch fuck here. Young Trill, go get some fuckin reinforcements, and I'mma go kill the fucking leader and that girl. We all good, niggahs? We all good? GOOD. FUCK SAKE. FUCK. SAKE. NIGGAHS. DAYUM." And just like that, a new battle was starting. Darnell suddenly vanished, and Maxitrillion used Bringer Light to leave the area.

More music now

This left Axel Johnson alone against Ryunosuke, Douma, and Kouen. But, in the meantime, Darnell appeared before Shizuka and Don Costello. He had crossed that distance very quickly, though Shizuka had been given adequate time to catch her breath a little bit. Now, however, someone terrifying had once again appeared in front of her. Darnell, a monstrosity by any measure of power. Looking at Shizuka, he pulled out yet another gun, this one a 50 caliber Desert Eagle, and aimed it right at Shizuka. Just how many guns did Darnell carry on his person? He didn't even seem like he had enough room in his outfit for all of these guns. He was definitely taking advantage of the second amendment.

"Ight, I'm having a shizzle ass day, naw..." Darnell said. "One o' my fuckin' homies betrayed me n' there r' fuckin' insects n' shit everywhere tryin' ta mess wit' my fuckin' shit." Darnell spat on the ground. "Fuck sake you'd think dem hoes would try n' appreciate, ya'll feel me? Whatev whatev. We done been talking too long. Little girl, git tha' fuck outta' mah godamn way, or ol' Darnell is gonna cap you HARD." This was it. Suddenly, Shizuka had a choice. Give up now and run away from a guy who clearly outmatched her entirely, or stand and fight, knowing there was not a good chance of her victory at all. What would she do here?

Back at Douma, Kouen, and Ryu, Axel Johnson rushed forward first thing. He wasn't very fast to start with, and he picked Ryu to attack first. What Ryu might notice was that Axel Johnson didn't seem to be too worried about three powerful enemies. No, he was grinning carelessly even as he moved with a speed below average compared to others of his level. As he approached, his fist rose up and flew at Ryu's face. Hypothetically, due to Hierro, it shouldn't matter. This should not be enough to even damage Ryunosuke remotely. But, Axel Johnson was known as the monster who tamed other monsters. So, there could be more to the seemingly underwhelming punch than met the eye.

"GO!" Kouen shouted at Douma. "I'LL COVER YOU!"

Darnell's Remaining Reiatsu: 5250/6000 Reiatsu

Main Fullbring Stage 1 Post Count: 4/10


Kouen's Remaining Reiatsu: 2200/4000 Reiatsu
Main Fullbring Stage 2 Post Count: 2/13

SPOILER: Click to show

{Axel Johnson's non-release technique list}

1. Willpower
2. Output
3. Movement
4. Energy Generate
5. Ken
6. Chakra
7. Haki
8. Stand
9. Satsujun's: The Body Crafted By God
10. Souza Kuchiki's: Zone I - Custom, hax as fuck, class 0 version. When activated, 10 posts of stamina suspension, and during that time, sensory stats all hit equivalent of Axel Johnson's reiatsu strength. Speed and strength both triple.
11. Custom Ken: En - For 100 reiatsu activation, a Ken that utilizes the combined prowess of spiritual pressure, reiatsu strength, and physical strength, while also creating feelings of terror in all nearby that are on the same level as extreme mental instability.
12. Energy Generate: Adamantium Skin - Combines pressure and reiatsu strength to create defensive value of Axel's skin, not unlike Hierro. By paying 200 reiatsu, becomes immune to non class 0 attacks for the post.
13. Bringer Crash - A Fullbringer version of Shunko which is identical in every way to the original Soul Reaper technique, with the offensive power being pressure + reiatsu strength + strength.
14. Crush Virus - Class 0 technique. Anyone that orally ingests Axel's blood becomes subject to a virus that disables their body's ability to process high level techniques. Any techniques above class 4 will automatically self destruct along the user.
15. Saeki Kuchiki's: Circle of Evil
16. Big Bang Shot - A class 0 technique that works when Axel Johnson punches. When he does, he can release a huge (sky scraper sized) blast attack of sheer, raw reiatsu. This attack possesses a special property which makes it impossible to absorb, teleport, or guard against. It overpowers everything and destroys anything. The only way to evade it is to teleport away. Basically an equivalent to Muerte Lanzar.
17. Dying Will
18. Big Bang Strike - A class 0 technique which gives Axel Johnson's punches and kicks a "shattering" effect that causes what he punches to shatter. 200 reiatsu per hit.

OOC: New mechanic! Until this battle with Axel Johnson ends, Kouen Akarui will now be partially under Douma's control. During my posts, I will insert Kouen dialogue. Douma is allowed to have Kouen act in attack or defense based upon the given dialogue. Thus, this allows a more plausible 3 v 1 battle against someone of tremendous power. Next post, Shizuka will gain this arrangement with Don Costello as well. Worthy of mention, however, that Axel Johnson is not presently possible to defeat for players. He's too hax. It's best to find a way to survive and escape.

[Douma]

"You would betray your allies...? Your comrades? I don't care how little time you've known them, or that you're only with them out of convenience, pragmatism, or because they pay you... Those are the guys fighting alongside you. Whatever the circumstances, anyone who would betray an ally is the lowest of scum. I worked under Kuroi Naito, an Arrancar whose goal is to inflict despair upon everyone in the world, and not even he was someone that would consider betrayal of an ally lightly like you... You, whoever you are... You're the most abominable of garbage."

Ignorant. Naïve. Idealistic. Foolish. Impulsive. All words that seemed to describe Kouen’s outburst perfectly. He was criticizing Douma, a man he knew nothing of, for turning on his employers. However, he only saw a glimpse of the picture. An inche of the ceiling mosaic. He didn’t have an ounce of understanding when it came to the masked man before him, and assuming that he could apply his own silly personal code to a stranger was beyond stupid. As if Douma was allies with any of Kayneth’s men. He had been their enemy from the beginning.

More so, Douma wasn’t a man capable of forming true bonds with others. He saw values in the positions and abilities of other’s, but not in their identities. He had no friends, just emotionless alliances. And now, his true allies were in trouble. Shizuka and Ryunosuke. Both were going to be useful in the future, and they could help him obstruct Adalo’s plans. “My real allies are in trouble. Shizuka is one of those allies. I want to help you defeat my real enemies, Kayneth Wayne and his group.” It was a last attempt at getting Kouen to take his assistance.

"I'll accept your offer right now, but after we've finished with them, you'd better be ready, because I'm going to kill you when it's all over.” Douma didn’t waste his time responding. After all, he wasn’t going to change the human’s mind. Kouen had a steel conviction that wouldn’t bend to the will of anyone else. Douma respected that, if nothing else. But he was also tempted to test exactly how far Kouen could be pushed. If a fight did break out between them, Douma would not lose. He wouldn’t allow it. Even if Kouen countered him, he would be stronger. He had no other choice.

Kouen propelled himself out of the building with his ability. Douma ran as fast as he could to the exit, using a step technique to close the gap between himself and his new comrades. After all, Axel Johnson and Maxtrillion had arrived, so things had just gotten far more dangerous. It was still five on three, but unless the Prime Minister could contribute, Douma’s team was heavily outgunned by Axel Johnson alone, without factoring Darnell or Maxtrillion in. He was gambling on the Don’s abilities, and while the odds weren’t looking good, his only other opportunity was helping Kayneth Wayne’s team, and that wasn’t an option. Douma usually picked the winning team, but this time, he sided with the underdogs.

And then Shizuka fled with the Prime Minister, choosing to run instead of fight. Maybe the Prime Minister was a lot weaker than Douma had hoped. Things weren’t looking good anymore, and when Darnell realized that Douma stabbed him in the back, he did not seem happy. "This is why I only invite real homies to my barbecues. Fuck this, man. FUCK this.” Douma hoped that Darnell was going to throw another anger fit. It’d make fighting him a lot more appealing, because right now, Douma couldn’t think of a single good reason to engage the enemies other than to buy Shizuka time to get the Don out of harm’s reach. That was Douma’s job now that he had switched sides. He picked his new allies, and he was stuck protecting them.

"OG Lush, you fuckin' Halloween bitch. I let you live that time ya'll were fuckin' spying on us, n' this is what I get? Fuck sake, OG Lush. Fuck sake. Ight ight igh ight ight. It ain't all bad as all that. Nah it ain't nah it ain't... I got this, we got this we got this... Axel, take fucking care of salty ass mothafucka, OG Lush Fuck, n' preppy bitch fuck here. Young Trill, go get some fuckin reinforcements, and I'mma go kill the fucking leader and that girl. We all good, niggahs? We all good? GOOD. FUCK SAKE. FUCK. SAKE. NIGGAHS. DAYUM." Okay, time to translate. Axel is going to kill them. Maxtrillion was going to call for back up. Darnell was going to target Shizuka and the Don. The rest was frosting on the cake, and it was some really low-quality frosting.

But now it was time to strategize. Even in a three versus one fight, Axel Johnson was strong enough to come out on top. Douma and his allies could stall, but ultimately, Axel would win the fight. Therefore, the best bet was to ensure that Shizuka and the Prime Minister escaped so that Douma, Kouen, and Ryunosuke could follow. They needed one person to pursue Darnell while the rest slowed Axel down, and the one who had the best shot at defeating Darnell as quickly as possible was Ryunosuke. Douma excelled at wearing his enemies down, but Ryunosuke blew them up. He was the logical choice. And he was also Axel’s first target.

"GO!" Kouen shouted at Douma. "I'LL COVER YOU!"

“No.”

Douma reactivated his ability, immediately scaling it up to class 1. While the entire world around them was engulfed in black, Ryunosuke would suddenly be pulled in by the ground at his feet. He was aware of Douma’s ability and its basic effects, so he wouldn’t resist Douma’s power. As long as he was compliant, Douma had no problem transporting him through the ground at a speed of 1000, ejecting him just behind Darnell, who lacked the energy sensory to even notice Ryunsouke, who would literally emerge below Darnell’s feet. With his energy sensory, he’d certainly know when he was directly below Darnell, giving him an easy opportunity to land a hit before Darnell even knew what happened. The instant the tip of his finger pushed up against the bottom of Darnell’s foot, he’d be able to blow the human into flying chunks before Darnell could even think “What the fuck?”

But on Douma’s side, he was up against a more fearsome opponent. Axel Johnson, who seemed to be far more intertwined in Douma’s life than he was comfortable with. While pursuing the Black Flag cartel, Axel appeared. Just before Douma’s battle with Basilisk, Axel was present. And now, he was facing off against the legendary ex-Xcution assassin. For once in his life, Douma felt like talking. He had some questions and wanted answers. “Forget about the Arrancar. I’d like to know where Basilisk is. You can tell me at least that much before this fight begins.” Kouen was on stand by beside Douma, but the masked man was praying that his new ally didn’t initiate the fight. First, he was curious to know if Basilisk was involved in this war as well. Secondly, engaging Axel meant jumping into a losing battle. They couldn’t be the ones to make the first move.

Douma Reiatsu: 7900/10,000 (-200 for class 1 bakkoto, -400 for absorbing and ejecting Ryu)

Class 1 Bakkoto Post Count: 1/3

Kouen Reiatsu: 2200/4000

Kouen Main Fullring Level 2 Post Count: 3/13

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

As Darnell swapped with the grenade, Ryunosuke briefly contemplated doing something about him, or dealing with the grenade. But he didn't, mostly because he'd succeeded in protecting the girl already, and because he needed Darnell alive. And honestly, most of Ryunosuke's solutions to the current problem involved murdering the shit out of Darnell, which wouldn't be very polite. So he simply tanked the grenade, letting it explode in his face, careful to close his eyes and protect them from the grenade's shrapnel. 

Darnell instantly started yammering, but one of the things he said caught Ryunosuke's attention. Illuminati shit? They were involved? Oh, fuck, this was going to be way more complicated than he wanted it to be. He had long suspected the existence of an ancient order, devoted to maintaining the masquerade of the spiritual world, and Darnell's sentence all but confirmed it. Fuck, he'd investigate that further after he was done dealing with the Kayneth Wayne issue. That was the best way he could describe this utter shitshow: the Kayneth Wayne Issue.

As Axel stepped towards Ryunosuke, and flexed his power, Ryunosuke couldn't help but smile. His reiatsu had a higher class than Ryunosuke's, like Adalo or Kuroi's. But like them, Ryunosuke was fine being lower class. He liked slumming it. "Nice reiatsu you got there," he said with a grin, "Here's mine!" Ryunosuke flexed his reiatsu, and quicksilver poured out in every direction, covering the floor around him, leaving circles around his allies to stand in, but quickly spreading across the room. 

Obviously, Ryunosuke was outclassed here, but in raw power? He was beyond Axel. Almost doubling him in raw strength. That strength would vanish the second Axel busted out Human World techniques, but still, his might was respectable, and he expected that it would at least give Axel pause. He didn't want to throw down with that guy, he wasn't sure if he had it in him to win that fight, but if it came to it, he could stall him, and drop the building on him. That felt like it would do a close enough job to count as a win.

Luckily, Douma came in behind him, as backup. Ryunosuke gave the criminal a nod, and a casual, "Sup," before going back to focusing on the issue at hand. Alright, the fight was looking better already. It looked like it was him, Douma, and the new guy versus Axel, but Ryunosuke had a burning question to ask: "Fuck, point of clarification? Am I 'Salty ass motherfucker' or 'preppy bitch'? Because I prefer to think of myself as a 'Salty ass prep', to be honest."

And that's when the fight started.

Axel rushed forwards, and Ryunosuke was ready to defend himself, excited at the chance to finally play bloody knuckles versus someone who wouldn't wimp out like a punk ass bitch, unlike literally everyone else that he'd fought against so far. But his fun was cut off when the world went black. Douma was fighting serious. Ryunosuke couldn't blame him, this situation was really rough. Ryunosuke relaxed, letting Douma play the tactical game as he saw fit. Sure enough, Ryunosuke found himself sinking into the ground, knowing he would emerge nearby. Of course, he could've teleported faster, but Douma wanted to show off here.

His left hand stuck up, out of the ground, right below Darnell, and graabbed the man's ankle. Already, by the time he had grabbed him, Ryunosuke had manifested Electrica in his hand, and instantly, Darnell wouldbe electrocuted. It probably wouldn't kill him, but it wouldn't be fun, and it would definitely disturb his concentration. Ryunosuke's other hand jolted up, right below Darnell's crotch, and from it fired a terrifying technique, flying at 3600 speed, point blank, at Darnell's junk. Rest in fucking pieces.

The technique was Cero Sierra, and the slicing pain that Ryunosuke felt throughout his arm was worth it, for the sheer potency of the technique. Darnell, who had been blindsided by Ryunosuke's teleportation, who had been electrocuted with untold amounts of power, and less than a second later had had a high speed technique fired point blank at one of his most vulnerable points from an unexpected angle, would have a hell of a time trying to dodge. And there was no way to stop the technique if it hit, given that it had a slicing force of 3600, more than even Axel could produce with double Gate. It was like Game over man, game over.


Reiatsu: 17,450/18,000 (-550, Class 4 Electrica, Cero Sierra)

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: Due to Douma's most recent actions, thread difficulty has bumped to HARD!

IC:

"HEYY DARRNEEELLLL!!!!" a voice screamed. Axel Johnson's voice, as Ryu was disappearing. A powerful, loud voice. So loud that it reached Darnell as he was moving away, and as blackness appeared under him. And, at that moment, with the instincts of a wild animal and the analytic combat skills of a super computer, Darnell glanced down. To him, despite the teleportation's abruptness as the blackness appeared, he'd see it in full, perfect detail. And he'd analyze the cause, likely effect, and the entirety of the situation, and process it and a reaction in no time at all. That was why he was already prepared with reiatsu blowing around him as Ryu's hand reached to grab him.

Just a split second before Ryu reached out, the tattoos on Darnell's body advanced in a burst of reiatsu to cover his whole body. But, too late. Ryu's hand grasped onto Darnell's ankle, and though Electrica should have immediately electrocuted him and a Cero Sierra strike him, two things happened instead. First, the tattoo of the spider's web on his back began to glow as soon as he was touched. Second, he was suddenly the one clutching at Ryu's ankle, emerging from the blackness. But, he released his grip immediately. and jumped away at incredible speed. Both Electrica and Cero Sierra were released into the air, upward toward where Darnell would have been had Ryu stayed in the same position relative to Darnell.

Alas, these attacks dissipated into the air. And, what was worse for them all? Darnell's spiritual energies had become far more potent! Stronger than Douma's by a huge amount, almost equivalent to Ryu's natural reiatsu strength. ...Except that Ryu's natural reiatsu strength was no longer his natural reiatsu strength. Instead, it had been reduced by a huge amount, putting him to a mere fifth of Douma's own reiatsu strength. A fifth. His reiatsu strength had, essentially, been reduced by almost ninety percent. And, Darnell, escaping away, had a huge grin on his face as he left. When he arrived before Shizuka, he would be even stronger than before.

At that time, when he was before Shizuka, the technique he had been using, Gate, dissipated. But in its stead, now he had his Main Fullbring Stage 2, stronger than the first stage. Furthermore, what had happened to Ryu was horrible. First, he had contacted Darnell, triggering Web of Fate. Darnell's ability hadn't been triggered, however, until after Gate activated simultaneous to his Main Fullbring Stage 2. Thus, as soon as Darnell had been contacted, Web of Fate had reduced Ryu's reiatsu strength by an amount equivalent to Darnell's, which was doubled by Gate. And, at the same time, he had switched places to avoid being attacked.

Next, if Ryu tried to escape, he'd find some invisible barrier blocked him. He'd actually also see both Electrica and Cero Sierra shatter against said invisible barrier. As a matter of fact, he was stuck in a cubic area of ten feet, incapable of leaving that area. This was courtesy of Darnell's Main Fullbring Stage 2. Ryu had just been isolated, Darnell had escaped to Shizuka, and Douma and Kouen were now even more outmatched against Axel Johnson. Speaking of Axel Johnson, he turned to Douma with a massive grin. His reiatsu flared around him, and he started walking toward the Rogue with the Bakkoto. "Ohhh, you fucked up..." he said. "You fucked up goooodddd...."

And then, BOOM. Gravitational pressure was crushing Douma and Kouen to the floor. Ryu would be crushed too, but not as severely. No, in contrast, he was farther away. Douma and Kouen were right there at ground zero, their bodies being crushed mercilessly against the ground by an incredible pressure. It was the same level as Sozen. As Kuroi. As the likes of Adalo. Axel Johnson was not someone to be messed around with... And Douma's mistake had been trying to divert the group's focus to attack another adversary while already facing down this monstrosity. Now, as Axel Johnson stood above Douma, he brought his foot crashing down on Douma's back.

A well placed hit would do the trick, completely shattering parts of Douma's spine and paralyzing him from the waist down while also making it impossible to so much as stir without feeling incredible pain. But how to defend? Douma's ears were ringing as if he was under oceans of water pressure. His body was in agonizing pain, not to mention flat against the ground. If he could muster any thought whatsoever, would it be on time to stop a simple smacking boot to his back? Who knew? Either way, Axel Johnson stood supreme in what had been intended either as a 3 on 1 to distract him or an effort to escape him, but had ended in an attempt to go to war with people far stronger than Douma had anticipated.

Meanwhile, Darnell, who was in front of Shizuka, was grinning. "Oh, n' by the way.. Douma, the Arrancar, n' Kouen are probably dead in a sec."

Darnell's Remaining Reiatsu: 2750/6000 Reiatsu

Main Fullbring Stage 2 Post Count: 1/12

Ryu's New Reiatsu Strength: 200

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

SPOILER: Click to show

{A Little Fight Music}
I thought it was a clever pun.

Ryu had to admit, this plan was not exactly going the way that they had planned. Kinda the opposite actually, this plan had gone completely fuckways, and he had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't entirely his fault. Douma had fucked up, pretty badly in fact. And now it looked like Ryunosuke was about to get shafted for it. Just wonderful. As Ryu reached out to Darnell, as his hand closed around the man's ankle, the mercenary's tattoo's flared, and Ryu felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

Bam. They'd switched places. Some teleportation fuckery wasn't unexpected, given what he'd seen of Darnell's fullbring, but this particular batch of fuckery was very dangerous. Ryunosuke braced himself, preparing to teleport away the Cero he had launched that was now headed towards his own crotch, as Darnell got the fuck out of the way. But the attacks, thankfully he supposed, never reached him. An invisible barrier that blocked and shattered his own immensely powerful attacks.

He could feel it, that sinking feeling of weakness. He knew, even without glancing at his own reiatsu levels, that something had gone horribly wrong, and he'd been stripped of the majority of his reiatsu strength. "MOTHERFUCKER!" Ryunosuke yelled at the back of Darnell's head, slamming his hand against the barrier that now surrounded him. This was bullshit, plain and simple. He was the goddamn Segunda Espada, and he refused to get clowned on by a piece of shit mercenary.

But, as it stood, he looked to be trapped. Darnell was moving fast towards Shizuka, threatening her with his weaponry and the fact he now had her cornered, and allegedly outgunned. Ryunosuke felt the sudden surge of gravitational pressure coming form the other room, and even at the distance that he was at, even with his comparatively potent power, he still was pushed down to his knees. Axel Johnson felt like a monster, plain and simple. There was no way his allies would be able to handle him.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lets Quote Some Darkwing Duck}

"Fuck it," the Segunda said, a smile creeping onto his face. "Let's. Get. Dangerous." His reiatsu flared, but Darnell, with his back to the Espada, wouldn't notice. He needed a second to charge up both techniques to get the timing right, and grit himself to get ready to get hit with the pain of using several class 4 and 3 techniques in short succession. so there would be precisely one window for Darnell to react. But that window was gonna be the last chance he had. Ryu was going to move fast and break things, even if that meant pushing himself to his limits. The air around Ryunosuke started to crystalize, just as the Espada disappeared, leaving the forcefield.

In the next instant, he appeared behind Darnell, already in mid attack. Teleportation again, but from a different, less predictable, less shitty, source. One more on par with Darnell's Fullbring. Ryu lashed out at Darnell with the last technique he had up his sleeve that would overcome their now massive difference in reiatsu strength. Halar Gonzui, which relied on Ryu's endless reserves of spiritual pressure rather than his raw strength, meaning it still was hitting at 1800 offensive power. But Ryu knew better than to just attack with the pulse of force.

Which was why Darnell was getting bitch slapped by a few hundred feathers, formed in a vague wing shape, that all had that offensive power, repelling everything they hit. Archangel. Beautiful to behold, and now Shizuka and, for the limited time he had left in his life, Darnell were both the only two living people to have witnessed it. The culmination of Ryunsouke's Solid techniques, and one that was damn near close to a release. Hell, Darnell might think that it was a release, just with the release phrase of "Fuck It" or "Let's get dangerous"? 

Ryunosuke was now hyper mobile, and capable of packing a hell of a punch. If Darnell had counted him out, then he had no chance of reacting and surviving. If Darnell survived, that must have meant that he knew that Ryu could kick his ass six ways to sunday, even with hardly any reiatsu strength left. Ryu was pissed, fast, and ready to kick some major fullbringer ass. There might be a bit more cheeky banter or shittalking, but his face was serious, and full of an anger, a terrifying one, that would remind Darnell of some of his employers. And Ryunosuke's reiatsu was starting to change to a familiar color and sensation.......



Reiatsu: 16,900 (Halar Gonzui, Class 3 Archangel, and a Garganta teleport)

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: WARNING! Graphic and explicit post content. Heavy violence, racial drama, implied (but not actual) sexual themes.

First song

As soon as Ryu appeared, Darnell's eyes widened. He had been aiming his gun at Shizuka, and then Ryu appeared already in mid attack, feathers of some powerful move forming. But, expected or not, it wasn't instant. Teleportation wasn't instantaneous as the mind, and nor was attacking. All it took was knowing that something was coming. The very instant that Ryu appeared, his shadow cast over Darnell, and his feathers surrounding and coming in for an attack, Darnell saw that he was in danger, evident in the widening of his eyes. It was clearly that he had expected Ryu to be trapped a bit longer than that, but things didn't always work out in one's favor, of course.

IN THAT MOMENT, DARNELL'S REIATSU FLASHED AROUND HIS BODY. IT IS SAID THAT IN TOP CLASS COMBATANTS, WHEN HEAVY EMOTIONS ARE BEING EXPERIENCED, ONE'S REIATSU CAN PRESENT THOSE MEMORIES TO THE EXTERIOR WORLD, VISIBLE TO THOSE ONE IS IN COMBAT WITH. THUS, TOP CLASS COMBATANTS ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER SIMPLY THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF BLOWS. SUCH WAS THE CASE WITH DARNELL! HE SAW HIS LIFE FLASHING BEFORE HIS EYES AS HIS OPPONENT GREW CLOSE TO STRIKING HIM WITH A POWERFUL ATTACK, AND HE BEGAN TO SEE ALL OF HIS OWN MEMORIES ONCE MORE, IN ONE SINGLE INSTANT. HIS ENEMY, VERY CLOSE TO HIM, WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEM, TOO. A TERRIBLE SERIES OF MEMORIES! TERRIBLE! TERRIBLE!!! TEEERRIIBBLEEEE!!!!!

The young, dark skinned child in the ratty and tattered jeans and baggy t shirt was watching an older kid, a teenager, smirk at him. The teenager had a gold chain around his neck, starkly contrasting with the rest of his poverty stricken outfit. That child, Darnell at the tender age of twelve, was looking at a kid that had dropped out of high school in his last year, and now was holding some sort of small plastic baggie with what looked like white rocks inside of it. "Come on," he said. "You ain't gon' go nowhere in this neighborhood. This's the only way to do it. Help me sell to the other kids." In a small subset of Oakland where the presents given to kids by wealthy drug dealers were like Christmas, how could Darnell refuse?

The image in mind transitioned then to a young man that looked much like Darnell, except the young twelve year old was still watching as that young man punched the teenager in the face in an alley, knocking him over. "Chu mothafuckin' punk. Mah brotha's finn' to finish schoo, not sell yo shittt. Git da fuck OUT, BITCH!" A few more moments of beating, and the teenager was running away. Darnell's older brother turned to him sternly. "Eyo listen up now, ight?" he demanded. "Shit's too late fo' me but chu can still finish schoo, a'ight? Don't be breaking momma's heart. She workin' three jobs to pay fo yo ass, ya hear?" Darnell took those words to heart...

...For all of a short time as the image blurred into red and blue lights, a dark alley at night only a block from Darnell's ratty and tattered home, with only the police car and a street lamp to illuminate the area. But twelve year old Darnell's wide eyes could see it. He saw the outline of the body left behind there on the street. He saw the blood. And he recognized the beanie that had been dropped and left behind, stained with blood. There was the beanie of his now dead brother. In this poverty stricken, hopeless neighborhood in the deeps of Oakland, what was someone going to do when their brother died? Cops were just there to collect the body, not solve it. Darnell's mind went numb as he watched those blue and red strobe lights...

Music

...Strobe lights that the more muscular sixteen year old Darnell was seeing again as he was slammed against the hood of the cop car, cuffs on his wrists, arms held behind his back. The pure rage and hatred in his eyes was unmistakable. In the background, a police officer was mouthing off into his radio about the crack he'd caught this teenage kid selling. "Are you happy now?" the white man in blue asked. "You ruined your life with these drugs." In a rage, Darnell tried to break free, headbutting the cop with the back of his head and throwing his captor to the ground. As Darnell was grabbed and hurled to the ground, pinned by several cops, he screamed at them all.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU WANT ME TO DO, NIGGAH?! MY MOM WORKS THREE JOBS N' IT ISN'T ENOUGH! WE GOTTA PAY THE BILLS SOMEHOW, FUCK!!"

Not that it mattered as the judge looked down at Darnell, trying him as an adult for selling crack over powder. Not that it mattered as the cell door slammed, and the teenager in an orange jump suit served time with grown men in jail. Twenty years. They told him that he would have to serve twenty years. But he wasn't going to be having any of that. Somehow he'd escape... somehow. That opportunity came three years later when some mysterious benefactor got him off for good behavior with bribes around the board. Not that it mattered, the scene transitioning to dozens of job interviews and rejections. No one would hire a convicted felon. That was how it was.

Back to drugs. Darnell was older, stronger, faster. Now he was bringing in money as a gangster. 50Gs a month. The images flashed around in his mind. The guns... The first time he ever killed someone and marked a teardrop tattoo on his face... When four years later he was finally arrested again and thrown in jail for life. Until he was again released early by the payments of some mysterious benefactor less than a year later. All of that culminated... All of it drove him to seek out another legitimate job... Failng, failing, failing, FAILING. Never able to secure anything to help his poor mother out with raising the three kids she had left, two having now died and Darnell now a felon ...Until that fateful interview with Kayneth Wayne.

"You'll do nicely, won't you...?" Mr. Wayne had asked him, sitting in some beautiful office. He'd flown Darnell out all the way to Chicago for this interview. Darnell hadn't had much to contribute or talk about, thinking that if he was going to take a vacation for the only time in his life, he may as well. But none of the questions were about professional experience. "What do you hate most in this entire world... Who do you hate most? If you could have your revenge, what would it look like?" And something compelled Darnell to speak. To describe in full his hatred, and expel it to this man. To tell this man everything about himself.

"I hate society. I hate the white folks in blue and the white judges for keeping us trapped in poverty. I hate mah fellow niggas who became Uncle Toms in the PD and sold out to oppress us even more... I hate the folks that make my mom suffer. I hate the men who walked out on her and left us to starve... If I could kill them all, I would." That moment changed his life forever as he was introduced by Mr. Wayne to green light and to magic, to powers that weren't natural. To something called 'Fullbring.' And it was easy from there... Easy to commit crimes and evade cops. To bring in two hundred grand a month and relocate his mom to a nice suburb with her teenage kids, and make sure they got to school and not into selling drugs.

It was all going well, until that mission where Darnell had been tasked with getting some minor organization called the Black Hand to get weapons to some of the Wayne Gang's members. Those weapons were pretty good, but the Black Hand wasn't competent, and somehow they lost the trucks and got ambushed by someone. Those trucks never made it. Darnell, the one responsible for that mission, and the new leader of that group, had failed. He had to take personal responsibility for it. And that was when he had been called into Kayneth Wayne's office. To take responsibility for his failure and make sure none of his friends or subordinates had to pay for it.

Stop music.

"You failed me, you know that, right?"

"I know."

"How do you plan to make up for it?"

"I'll get stronger."

"Yes, you will. You will... This is my fault, Darnell, and I'm sorry.. I didn't make you strong enough... I just didn't have enough vision this time... So here, I'll make it up to you."

"Mr. Wayne?"

"Take off your clothes and walk over here, Darnell. Don't be shy now, come on..."

more music

So Darnell obeyed the man that had put his family in a comfortable lifestyle, and he walked over to behind Wayne's desk. It was then that Darnell felt a cold hand on his back, and gasped as he was shoved with tremendous physical force to bend onto the desk. And that was when he felt something truly horrible. A hot sensation on his back, like fire. Tears formed in his eyes and he started to scream as a red reiatsu formed around them, and a red glow emerged onto his back in the shape of a spiderweb creeping up. Darnell's cries of agony were silenced by the pain, so bad was it. Then, he felt something even worse. Not just burning, but fire. Actual fire.

It started at the tail end of his back, and crept up quickly. Soon, his entire body was engulfed by a black fire, and he fell over the desk, rolling onto the floor and screaming as it burned over his head and his body. Kayneth Wayne, dressed in his tuxedo and with his evil yellow eyes, walked out, his right hand still steaming from whatever curse had been put on Darnell. Darnell's body was on fire, and no matter how he rolled, he couldn't put it out as his flesh started to dissolve and blacken and he screamed. The fire did eventually subside, and he lay there broken for hours as, miraculously, his body began to heal, until it was more muscular than ever before. He had torn out one of his own teeth in the meantime from the pain, and during the burning, Wayne had installed a gold one in its place. Darnell, on the ground, stood slowly.

More muscular than ever. A black spiderweb tattoo on his back. More powerful than he had ever been. And now a warning.

"Don't fail me again..."



MUSIC!!!

"Never again..." Darnell said, his eyes mirroring the same hate that had been in the eyes of the burning man. "Never." The feathers were blown away as a black reiatsu appeared around Darnell and transformed into a wolf form with glowing red eyes. His custom version of Ken. The repulsor ability: Nen. But then, that wasn't even all. It expanded even more, transforming now into a huge black samurai around him that roared. His next level: Ren. Even worse, blue reiatsu exploded around his Ren, coating it. That was another technique, too. Blood Discipline: Chi. Now, that repulsor aura being employed by Darnell was stronger than ever. Something not even Ryu could reach.

Mathematically? Triple Darnell's offensive capacity, and with a class two above 1. 1^2. In terms of level, it was a tier of its own. It blew away all of the feathers, and even then, didn't end there. It blasted Shizuka and Ryu away. Both of them would experience at that time a terrible instinctive fear of Darnell, one that didn't fade even when the technique called Ren faded. That fear remained, and made them hesitant, shaky, reckless. Unable to stop trembling. Unable to stop shivering. Unable to think about something other than the fear. Worst of all? He had an attack coming, too. They emerged from his body, coated in Blood Discipline: Chi, and thus being class 1^1.

Eight silver wolves, all the size of a lion, emerged forth at tremendous speed. If Ryu couldn't get out of the way during that moment where he was feeling intense pain from use of his powerful abilities, then they would tear into him and rip him into pieces and that would be that. Darnell wasn't playing around anymore. He was now using one of his most powerful abilities to ensure that he came out on top. His powerful reiatsu was pulsing... His memories had fueled him. His hate had made him into something else entirely. He would not fail his mother. He would not fail Kayneth Wayne. And most of all? Darnell would have... his... REVENGE.

Darnell's Remaining Reiatsu: 950/6000 Reiatsu (Nen, Ren, Chi, Shokan: Wolves of Durmstrang)

Main Fullbring Stage 2 Post Count: 2/12

SPOILER: Click to show

{Wolves of Durmstrang}

Lunatic Types rank 4, 1600 SP, no spiritual stats. Reliant on Darnell's offensive.

Strength: 400 (100)
Speed: 400 (2000)
Instinct: 400 (100)
Senses: 400 (100)
Energy Sensory: 0
Healing Expertise: 0
TOotal SP: 1600

[Douma]

OOC: I’m under the weather so please excuse the poor quality of this post.

Douma realized his mistake the moment that Ryunosuke grabbed Darnell’s leg. Sure, Axel had given Darnell a warning, but Ryunosuke might still have been able to blast him into smithereens. Contact with Darnell’s body, however, was very dangerous for one reason: the tattoos. They were infused with a dark reiatsu that Douma detected the instant he set his eyes on them.

Douma could not have known that the tattoos would drain the majority of the Segunda Espada’s reiatsu strength, but he shouldn’t have positioned Ryunosuke right below Darnell either. Now that their strongest ally had his power crippled, and Axel Johnson was still a problem. The powerful human’s reiatsu flared as he slowly walked toward Douma. "Ohhh, you fucked up... You fucked up goooodddd...." The rogue could feel Axel’s aggression through his spiritual energy, but he couldn’t have been prepared for Axel’s gravitational pressure. As soon as it hit him, the Angel of Silence fell to the ground. As soon as he hit the floor, he kept falling. He sank right past the concrete.

Kouen did the same. They both vanished into the ground, falling until they were fifty meters from Axel Johnson’s feet. Both were completely blind, but luckily, Douma’s ability took them out of immediate harm’s way. Kouen might have assumed that Douma abandoned Ryunsouke, Shizuka, and the Don, but he soon realized that the Angel of Silence had an attack plan. With his energy sensory, Kouen could pick up on a Douma’s use of spiritual projection in order to create 9 swords. At a speed of 1000, they all moved below Darnell and his wolves, shooting out of the ground to impale their targets. The wolves were fast, but they would not be able to react in time to the spears. Darnell would likely have some sort of defense if he could sense the spears, but if not, he was in danger too.

And then there was Axel. Kouen may not have noticed it immediately, but Axel had been targeted for an attack a few seconds before Darnell and his wolves. In fact, before Douma activated spiritual projection, he had cast another technique: Shokan: Dark Knife. A giant serpentine dragon was created within the ground beside him, one formed only out of life force, making it difficult for both Kouen and Axel to sense the dragon. It emerged from the ground right below Axel’s feet. Without any way to detect it, he would get hit by the nose of the dragon moving at a speed of 1000. Just the force behind it alone would break his leg and send him flying. If he defended with Ken or another shield, the dragon would then explode into a pink mist that would drain 600 of his reiatsu if inhaled. Furthermore, the mist would cloud his vision, slowing him down briefly.

Using so many techniques in quick succession, especially a shokan technique, wasn’t easy on the Angel of Silence. His breath had gotten a little bit heavier and he had expended a fair amount of reiatsu. However, the worst part was the futility of his efforts. They were in an unwinnable fight. It was time to retreat. The rogue maneuvered himself and Kouen so that they emerged from the ground behind the Don and Shizuka. “Run,” he told them. Despite the Don’s powerful aura, he was only a liability in this battle. “Ryunosuke, this isn’t a fight we should pursue for much longer.” The message was clear. ‘Only fight for as long as we have to.’ Douma and Kouen would stay to stall a bit longer, as Douma’s ability made it much simpler to get out of danger quickly. He could bring Kouen along with him, and Ryunosuke could teleport. It was Shizuka and the Don who needed the head start.

Reiatsu Remaining: 4850/10,000 (-450 for Spiritual Projection x9, -1800 for shooting out 9 blades, -800 for absorbing and ejecting Douma and Kouen)

Life Force Remaining: /10,000 (-300 for Shokan: Dark Knife)

Class 1 Bakkoto: 2/3

Kouen Reiatsu: 2200/4000

Kouen Main Fullring Level 2 Post Count: 3/13

[Kento Waffles]

Music!

Axel Johnson's grin was relentless as his foot came down on Douma's black spot. Yes, Axel's attack had missed because Douma had evaded using his Bakkoto. However, Douma had underestimated the opponent in front of him. The moment Axel's foot landed on where Douma had sunk into, Douma's well trained energy sensory would suddenly detect a powerful reiatsu blasting throughout the very darkness he had used to sink away. And that very darkness would suddenly shatter, stranding Douma and Kouen closer to the surface than initially intended, though still below the ground. However, the instant that happened, Axel transitioned into another attack. Douma, who had stopped to create his own summoning attacks against Darnell and Axel, was locked in.

He would not be able to counter or evade, being literally in the middle of devoting his reiatsu and mind to those attacks at that exact second. Kouen, stuck underground, would be helpless, as his abilities were more or less useless in those extremely restricted quarters. Instead, Axel's transition from stomp that shattered the darkness into a punch toward the ground resulted in something terrible. A skyscraper sized blast of reiatsu, Axel Johnson's Big Bang Shot technique, crashed throughout the ground, annihilating that entire area and leaving a steaming crater where all else had been reduced to ashes. It was also inescapable. That, essentially, meant that because of size, timing, and power, the Big Bang Shot was faster than either Douma or Kouen could try to guard themselves.

"FOCUS ON THE ENEMY IN FRONT OF YOU, JACKASS!!!" Axel Johnson cried out after his blast had already fired.

The end result? Douma's devotion to attacking Axel and then to still continuing to try and assault Darnell left him exposed, vulnerable, and completely unable to respond. If not by grace of the earth that had been between the two and Axel Johnson, that attack would surely have vaporized and killed the two. As it was, they were out of the fight. The Big Bang Shot that had devoured the very concrete and then earth beneath had also devoured Douma and Kouen. More accurately, the damage was unimaginable. Douma's clothes would be burned off, and what cloth wasn't would be burned into his flesh, melded with his very body. That, however, wasn't even the half of it.

His entire body would be completely blackened, half of his face burned off in entirety while on the other side one eye was burned by an eyelid melting into it before the eye itself melted out. Fourth degree burns didn't even begin to cover the damage to all of his flesh, bone exposed and gruesomely burned all over him. Worst of all, both of his legs had somehow melted off of his body in entirety from the mid thigh down. His mask was completely incinerated, but it didn't matter. His very face, once so good looking, had been obliterated. And Kouen? He would meet the same fate as Douma himself. So brutally damaged that it didn't matter what they did.

Kouen's face was blackened with both eyelids burnt shut. His body was also blackened, bone exposed everywhere, parts of him still glowing red or orange from the burns. His lungs had been burnt out, too, same as Douma's. Both would be struggling to breathe, their insides heated so much that every breath was as fire. They were literally right next to death's door at this moment. Damage worse than had been sustained against Adalo De-Mona for Douma. Closer to death than had been sustained against Kuroi Naito for Kouen. "C...can't...!" Kouen rasped. "BEEEEE..." Speaking was already a chore. "Muerte... Lanzar?!?!" he rasped, mistaking Axel's technique for a Cero variant utilized by Kuroi.

If Douma did still teleport to Ryu and that group, he and Kouen would emerge not as men, but as charred corpses. Speaking of that scenario, however, Darnell saw the swords emerging, and his first thought was one any Fullbringer would have. The sword tips seemed to emit green flashes of light, and suddenly blasted toward Ryu instead! This was nine simultaneous uses of the Soul Command ability, meaning that Darnell had just expended a large amount of reiatsu to manipulate the air itself and readjust the trajectory of those weapons so that instead of aiming at the airborne wolves, they would aim at Ryu's body. The one blade headed for Darnell also deflected off to the side.

The reason this was so easy for Darnell was that the reiatsu build-up was obvious. Douma and Kouen hadn't exactly been close by. It had taken more than a bit of traveling for Darnell to reach Shizuka and the Don, so far away. It had taken the same for Ryu to get there. For Douma to try and send an attack there while concentrating on his own situation took a lot of focus, and slowed down his efforts drastically. By the time the blades emerged, Darnell had already long since had time to process what was happening and prepare for himself a defense. He had literally seen the blades as they slowly began to materialize. Noted the gathering of reiatsu even before that.

Axel, standing in place, called out to Kouen and to Douma. "I'M GLAD YOU BETRAYED US!!! HAHAHA! ALL YOU'VE DONE SINCE THEN IS FUCK OVER YOUR NEW ALLIES BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON YOUR OWN DAMN FIGHT!!! MAYBE YOU'RE STILL ON OUR SIDE AFTER ALL, HUH KAGAMI MURAI?!"

Darnell's Remaining Reiatsu: 500/6000 Reiatsu

Main Fullbring Stage 2 Post Count: 3/12

Axel Johnson's Remaining Reiatsu: 8600/10,000 Reiatsu

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

All she could do was blink. Shizuka had no idea what was going on the entire time, and she didn't really want to process it. Everything was happening quickly and it was majorly messing her up, especially because so many people were in and out of the area around her faster than she realized. Granted, she wasn't paying attention much at this point, but it was still happening. After stepping in front of the Don in an attempt to shield him, Shizuka watched as Ryunosuke used his attack and got pushed back by Darnell's intense power. Shizuka was pushed back, as well, and tried her best to cover the Don as much as she could. She needed this man to trust her.

Fear extended itself throughout the woman's body, finding its way into the deepest part of her mind. She tried to kick it out, to make it stop, but she couldn't help herself. Darnell's powers seemed so much more intimidating now, and there was nothing Shizuka could do. This kind of fighting was beyond her, and it seemed like everyone else knew that, as well. Soon enough, Douma was by her side again. The Fullbringer let out a short sigh of relief before following his instructions. This gang was majorly powerful, and if it was going to end like this, Shizuka knew it was best to get going.

After grabbing the Don one last time, she used Movement to get far enough away from the group before pushing Bringer Light to distance themselves even further. She was masking her presence with what stealth she had, though she knew that hiding the Don wouldn't be as easy. She felt bad for treating him this way, but there was nothing she could do. While everyone was out fighting, Shizuka knew she was pretty useless. It was driving her crazy. She knew attacks were being used and could hear all of the hostility, but she ignored it as much as she could. She didn't want to hear it. She had left before Darnell had the chance to unleash his fury, but she would probably be pursued. How was she ever going to face off against them?

"My apologies, Don. I haven't been the best guard for you lately. These gang members are a lot more dangerous than I originally thought, which means staying away from them is probably more beneficial. I hope you'll understand."

Would he? Maybe. Italians are usually good guys. Usually. Mostly. Okay, well, Shizuka's biased. She was also too busy peacing the hell out of there as fast as possible to really worry about what was going on with the rest of the people, but she was worried about Douma and Kouen. She had no idea what was happening to them since she was so far away, but she sniffed the air and pinched her nose at the smell. She had no idea what it was or what it meant, but she and the Don were safe for now. She couldn't bring him back to his base since it was destroyed, but she had a few other hideouts. Maybe they could start there.



Shizuka's Remaining Reiatsu: 4,925 (-25 for Movement, -50 for Bringer Light)

[Douma]

(( OOC: Rip Douma and Kouen ))

I lost.

Douma was ready to meet his inevitable fate. He knew he couldn’t escape it the moment he felt Axel’s reaitsu swell to release an enormous blast. Even if Douma moved at the maximum speed that he could through the ground, he would not be able to evade it. However, he did have one option: escape. Ryunsouke and Shizuka would have to take care of themselves, for Douma was about to meet one of the most powerful attacks in existence head-on. He could only really on good fortune for survival.

And fortune smiled upon Douma and Kouen. While their bodies had been severely burned, their lives were in tact. Kouen unfortunately felt the searing pain from the scortching attack, barely able to stay conscious afterward. Douma, on the other hand, still had his head on straight. His body was in the same awful condition as Kouen’s, but he did not feel the blast turn every inch of skin on his body black. He felt nothing at all. No pain. It was all locked away, thanks to his special technique Silent Pain. For the time being, he could suspend agony until he had guaranteed his own safety.

And that’s just what he did. Using all the energy he could muster, Douma created a single bullet within the ground and transported both his and Kouen’s mass into it. Then, he fired the bullet from the end of his black zone about 50 meters from Axel, sending it flying into the air with a force of 1000, carrying the two wounded men. Because Douma and his bakkoto were in the bullet, the black zone would shift as it moved. That way, Douma’s mass absorption ability could stay active as they left the battle.

It wasn’t until the bullet forced its way through a wall and landed in an empty room in a building more than a mile away from Kayneth’s gang did Douma deactivate his release. He and Kouen would then be pushed out of the bullet, left to lie still and recover from their injuries. Fortunately, Douma had an ally who had incredible sensory capabilities. She would be able to find him. Until then, he had to stay hidden. It was time to end Silent Pain, letting all he would have felt from Axel’s Big Bang Shot hit him at once in a single wave of agony.

“AAAGGGHHHHHH,” he screamed, squirming in the ground in hopes that movement would somehow dilute the pain. He felt his consciousness slipping as the severity of his injuries took a toll on his mind, but his resolve was as hard as ever. Even as his vision faded into darkness, he heard Axel’s voice echo through his mind.

” "I'M GLAD YOU BETRAYED US!!! HAHAHA! ALL YOU'VE DONE SINCE THEN IS FUCK OVER YOUR NEW ALLIES BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON YOUR OWN DAMN FIGHT!!! MAYBE YOU'RE STILL ON OUR SIDE AFTER ALL, HUH KAGAMI MURAI?!"

I’ll have my revenge.

Reiatsu Remaining: 4850/10,000 (-50 for the bullet, -400 for having the bullet absorb both Douma and Kouen, -200 for shooting out the bullet)

Life Force Remaining: 9700/10,000

[Kento Waffles]

Play this!

As the blades struck out at Ryu, suddenly they were deflected away. "What the fu-" Darnell began to say, but a huge reiatsu pressure suddenly crushed down on him. "UGHH!!!" And he dropped to one knee as the air shook violently and what looked like sparks of electricity began to form all over inanimate objects. This would be something Shizuka and the Don would also feel from far away, as would Douma. Ryu, like Darnell, would fall to one knee. Some kind of blurry figure was in front of him, but its spiritual power was too great. He was no match for it. The only person that could stand was Axel Johnson, but... As Axel Johnson turned toward the mysterious figure in confusion, he gasped.

That gray figure was suddenly behind him, and Axel Johnson's arm had been ripped clean off of his body, blood spurting everywhere. "AARRGGHHH!!!" he cried out in shock. At last, the figure came into view. It was a gray cloaked figure wearing a ragged cloak with the hood down. Its skin was pale white, and it looked male. This creature had deep yellow eyes and was bald, with a flattened out nose that more resembled a reptile's than anything else. Its bald head was very veiny, and its grin had sharpened teeth like a feral animal. It dropped Axel Johnson's arm, turning to face all of those present. "Awe shit..." Darnell hissed in frustration. He apparently knew what that creature was.

"EYO! Axel, we gotta dip! That thing is-" But Axel Johnson roared as green reiatsu exploded around him. "I AM THE STRONGEST! I DON'T NEED TO RETREAT!" The pressure exerting over everyone in the area seemed to double as Axel released his own pressure as well. It was more powerful than anyone there. Even Darnell was struggling against it. Now with two such powerful individuals flexing their reiatsu, everyone would be floored. And, as the green reiatsu flexed, suddenly things seemed to... shift. No one would be able to identify what precisely had happened, but suddenly Axel's arm was back on his body, a void black color, and he was blocking a slash from sharp nails of the pale newcomer. The newcomer's nails struck Axel's arm, but could not penetrate.

Instead, a metallic clanging sound was made and sparks flew between them. It was as if the newcomer had been reversed in time and his attack had come once more, this time Axel being able to block it. The newcomer's eyes were wide in amused surprise, clearly not yet feeling threatened. "That's a good trick..." the newcomer said to Axel, licking his lips. "I want it." Axel was smirking back at this newcomer. "You can't have it..." he said. "It's my power. The power to never lose. HAHAHHAHAHA!!" The newcomer was clearly quite surprised, but now backed away and the two of them faced each other once more. "Axel, this ain't the fuckin' time!" Darnell shouted.

But Axel barely heard him anymore, instead charging forward and throwing a powerful punch at the newcomer. The newcomer immediately succeeded in blocking it, and shockwaves of force flew from them and shattered all the windows of nearby buildings into glass shards. "YOOO WE HAVES TO PEARL YOU ASSHOLE!!!" Darnell screamed at Axel. "THAT'S ASHKARR DE-MONA, PLAYAAA!! YOU FINN' TO WRECK THE TOWN IF CHU FIGHT HIM!!" It no longer mattered. Axel Johnson no longer heard anything that Darnell was saying. He had lost control to his very own blood lust. "Shit..." Darnell said, and he managed, barely, to stand and to use Bringer Light to escape to a mile away.

He appeared before Shizuka and the Don, sweating and out of breath. "Awwee shit, I'm s'posed to kill ya'll righnow but shit's complicated.." Darnell complained. And though Shizuka might get out one sentence of response, explosions were huge a mile away, and suddenly they would see the newcomer in the distance fighting with Axel Johnson. Both of them were charging some sort of attack... Blast attacks. The two blasts collided, and Darnell screamed bloody murder as the explosions were so large that they literally tore through that entire part of town, consuming even Shizuka and Darnell. And all would then be lost to a feeling of whiteness and death.

Ryu would be lost to it, too. Even Douma might be in trouble, lost to it. The explosions were ferocious. The battle was raging and horrifying. And there was no escaping it. These two were on a whole other level. When they used Ken, it was the strongest Ken anyone would have imagined. When they used Furyoku, the air crackled and sizzled with unbridled power. But it didn't matter. Because for Darnell, for Shizuka, for Ryu, even for Douma and Kouen, there was no such thing as consciousness anymore. They were completely and utterly knocked out. Whatever happened, they were in trouble now. The whole town was. No matter where anyone was.

End thread. People can post ending reactions if they want.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

OOC: No ending reaction! Just trying to organize finished vs. ongoing threads.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Treated the last page as a mix between medium/hard since it changed mid page. So participants will earn 300 for that page instead of 400 for the hard difficulty and the DM will earn 600 instead of 700.


Douma - 700 TP and Ryo

Shizuka - 700 TP and Ryo

Ryunosuke - 500 TP and Ryo for entering on the second page.

DM - 1600 TP and 3200 Ryo