To the Rising Sun [PG-13, Joint-Training]

[Marcus Cole]

This will be a JT between Marcus and Yoko of Uzaki Enterprise. It will take place in the underground training rooms at the UE HQ. Marcus is training for CTP.

[Yoko Kusanagi]

Training for CTP

Play this – Land of the Rising Sun – Iko Ndolo

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Uzaki Enterprises Rooftop
0600

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It was a fresh new day in the life of Yoko Kusanagi. The Fullbringer stood up on the flat roof of her employer’s office building and looked down on the city she once again called her home. ”Karakura. How I’ve missed you and all your problems.” It had only been a few weeks that she’d been back from her latest tour of the Middle East and she already felt back at home. Allies and enemies both had been made in spades in a short time. New and old had come crashing together as she reminisced about this city that had given her both grief and joy on so many occasions. Truly, this was the place where she belonged.

Her loyalty in theory should be to Britain. She wore that flag when deployed to the deserts, but her soul lived here. Not just in Japan. Not just in Karakura. Uzaki Enterprises. Others had tried to claim her as their own. Her Majesty of Britain. The Army. They had offered her money, power, prestige. She could have had it all, but she turned it down in a heartbeat to come back to this place. With the good she had done for the empire, she easily could have lived a comfortable life of near luxury back in Britain, but it just wasn’t the same. She had too many bad memories there. Too many friends she couldn’t save.

But here it was a different story. There were far fewer she had lost here. No allies had been lost to death that she really missed, bar one. Kazuko. She heard that he’d died in an attack on the Shiba family house apparently. That one had hurt. A lot. Kazuko had been special to her, but truth be told they hadn’t known each other long enough for it to hurt for too long. She had moved on and gotten over it eventually. As she had always done, she solved it by throwing herself into her work. Into Kazura’s good graces. That was who she was and what she did, time and time again. As she looked over the city, smoke idly trailed from her cigarette. A bad habit she’d kick some day, but not today.

The Fullbringer hadn’t chosen the world’s best attire for a rooftop, but she felt decently cute at least. A white sweater and blue muffler covered her upper half. As for the lower half it was made decent by a short blue skirt, black leggings, and a light brown pair of comfortable leather boots that went halfway up her calves. It wasn’t her usual for sure. Lord knows it was a cold day in hell before you would catch Yoko in a skirt, but there she was. Last she checked, hell was still warm, and she had said fuck it and worn the thing because she wanted to look cute today for some reason she couldn’t understand. As the last of her cigarette burned out she finished the text message she’d been thinking about for at least a good half an hour.

I think we’re a few years overdue at this point. I’ve worked with you for a number of years now, and yet I don’t think we’ve ever sparred even once. I’m sure you’ve heard the talk around about what I’ve been up to. Knowing you you’ve already read tall the reports too. If I’m going to make this Emergency Response Team anything more than something I yell at random people then I need to know what to expect if we’re forced to fight together. While I hope the day never comes that I need to call on your aid, I’m sure it will happen sooner or later. It’s best we be prepared for such an eventuality. Meet me down in the training room when you get in.

With the message sent crushed the end of her smoke into ashes and let the breeze scatter it to god knows where. As much as she wanted to, the Fullbringer resisted the urge to jump off the roof and do a superhero landing. Though it took her a much longer time than it would have with the fun way, she took the elevator all the way to the sub-basement. She made her way into the training room, coffee and bagel in hand. Nothing like a quick pit stop at the continental breakfast for a random business meeting before she got down to business right? Besides, she had plenty of time to munch away on the circle of grainy goodness before Marcus arrived for sure. It’s not like he was already gonna be here at 0600 or anything… right?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Outfit Reference}

[Marcus Cole]

Marcus took a second to admire the first rays of light shining over Karakura Town that morning. It was a scene he had witnessed countless times, but the gradient of pink, blue, and gold in perfect equilibrium just above the horizon never lost its charm. It had become a habit of his to pause for a few seconds each morning and appreciate the scenery just before he pulled in to the Uzaki Enterprise employee parking complex.

After pulling into one of the many empty spots, Marcus quickly checked the time displayed by his car’s interior before shutting the engine off. ”5:57,” he thought to himself as he grabbed a duffle bag from his truck, locked the vehicle, and made his way to the parking lot elevator. ”Right on schedule.” Marcus’s weekly routine involved early morning gym sessions before work, as long as he hadn’t had any spiritual assignments on behalf of Uzaki Enterprise the night before. It was the best way that he could make sure he was still improving his spiritual capabilities. While these training sessions were a chore like any other, the results were worth it. The training was therapeutic as well. It kept his mind off of Harle. The more he thought about his fiancée, the emptier his life seemed while she was away. By going to the gym, he could at least keep himself distracted and keep pushing forward.

Buzz

Marcus checked his phone as the elevator began its descent. He was surprised to see the name Yoko Kusanagi at the top of the notification. Marcus had had her number saved on his phone since he first began working at Uzaki Enterprise, admiring her for her strength and commitment to Kazura. But this was the first time they had directly communicated with one another, and Marcus couldn’t help but smile with excitement as he read through the text. There’ve been rumors floating around since Yoko returned to Uzaki Enterprise after he hiatus. They tended to consist of vague speculation regarding Yoko’s Emergency Response Team project, but this was the first concrete information Marcus had heard about the response team.

The elevator door opened to the training room several stories below the ground level of the Uzaki Enterprise headquarters. Marcus tossed his bag onto one of the benches just outside the room. ”Already there, see you soon” he wrote back a mere two minutes after she sent the text. He assumed she was nearby since she had asked him to meet her there, so Marcus simply sat out on the bench in his black spandex and midnight blue brotank. He hadn’t prepared as well as he’d have liked for a sparring session with someone as highly regarded as Yoko. Unfortunately, his kunai sat in a drawer in his apartment and his Uzaki Enterprise battle suit was sitting in his office several dozen floors above him. However, he did have his sealed fullbring: two small throwing knives. Those would have to be enough.

After a short while, he turned to see the elevator door open once again, revealing a very normal looking woman carrying coffee and a bagel. Marcus stood up, wore a rehearsed half-smile, and said, “Hi, nice to finally meet you. I’m Marcus.” He had practiced that phrase in his head about twenty times before Yoko arrived, hoping to hide his social awkwardness from her as much as possible. However, in reality, Marcus was a little surprised based on his first impression of the other Uzaki Enterprise hero. At first glance, she just seemed so… normal. Between her casual outfit, the ordinary breakfast, and the absence of any armor or weapons, Marcus could have easily walked by Yoko on the streets of Karakura without recognizing her from the picture in her file.

The fullbringer realized his eyes were lingering on Yoko for a little longer than he had intended and immediately dropped his gaze to his black Nikes. “S-so, you wanted to meet to train and discuss this response team?” God, Marcus hated it when his stuttered poked its head out of the grave. He had hoped to be done with the stutter for good, but at the worst moments, it returned to haunt him like a ghost. He did his best to ignore it and push forward with the conversation. After all, he and Yoko were meeting on business terms. This was not the time to fluster himself. “I like the idea of a more organized response against more noteworthy threats. What specifics did you have in mind for the Emergency Response Team? And, uh… are there any other employees that you have in mind for it?” Marcus tagged on that last question out of impulse to satisfy a thought that had just popped into his head. ”I wonder if she approached Luke about this response team too, he’d be good for it.”

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats, Skills, and Items}

Strength - [200] (100) Points

Speed - [200] (400) Points

Spiritual Pressure - [250] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [300] (600) Points

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [300] (150) Points

Senses - [150] Points

Energy sensory - [0] (0) Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

Abilities

• [Martial Arts: Escrima] {2}
  
  
• [Weapons: Throwing Weapons] {1}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {2}
  
  
• [Special Skill: Movement] {2}
  
  
• [Stealth] {3}
  
  
• [Acrobatics] {3}
  
  

[Yoko Kusanagi]

A nice prompt response alerted Yoko to the fact that she was in fact not the only one who favored six am workout sessions. Marcus had responded right after she sent the text message, and it dinged on her phone while she had been grabbing the bagel and coffee. How incredibly refreshing. So many people didn’t value prompt communication despite the overwhelming abundance of ways to do so in this day and age. Even more beneficial and impressive was that Marcus had not only already been where she wanted him to be, but had agreed to meet with her without making a big fuss out of it. Some people walked on eggshells around Yoko and it drove her nuts.

Now in quite a good mood, Yoko had made her way down to the basement and got her first look at Marcus Cole in person. Mmmm. She was going to enjoy her time with him. He had a good look about his face. Not too overtidy but not disheveled either. Just the right amount of mess in his hair. And he was friggin cut. The man before her definitely fell into the category of “no waste.” He wasn’t big and bulky like a lot of the brutes she knew, but the form fitting brotank he wore gave the woman plenty to enjoy. Yeah, she was gonna enjoy this a lot. Without even realizing she had done so, Yoko had licked her lips while looking the man up and down.

While her checking Marcus out had been subconscious, it wasn’t lost on her that his eyes lingered on her for quite some time after he introduced himself. While normally Yoko abhorred being treated like a woman and just wanted to be one of the guys, she didn’t mind in this case. The difference between sexual harassment and flirting was just if the guy was hot enough right? Point was that Yoko neither stopped him early nor called him out on it. Instead she just returned his greeting. ”Charmed.” And boy did she mean it. She didn’t bother offering her name or anything, it was obvious enough who she was given the situation and his earlier acknowledgement of it.

Eventually the man averted his gaze. No doubt he realized he had been staring. The whole situation just had Yoko in a wonderful mood, and she sported a smile from cheek to cheek. Marcus brought up the reason that she’d contacted him. All she got in was a warm ”Mmhmm.” before the man continued on. He seemed to like the idea, and wanted some more details. Yoko was more than happy to share. There was no sense in keeping the project a secret, especially given that she was actively trying to recruit everyone in the organization and outside of it to join under her command. ”You ever read any comic books?” That’s what she asked before she launched into her full vision.

It didn’t matter what his response to that question was. She continued on either way. ”The goal is to create something akin to the Justice League or the Avengers, though maybe the X-Men would be a more realistic parallel. Point is that I want to get to the point where I, or ideally a better tactician, knows all the ins and outs of our abilities and can properly mobilize the best person for any given problem at a moment’s notice. I’m looking at this mostly as a group of first responders. The people who dive headfirst into the situation and try to save as many people as they can.” She paused for a few moments to let that sink in.

Her ambition was enormous. The threats against the world of the living were numerous and powerful. As it stood, there were few who could stand up to the might of the Vandenreich or the Espada, let alone rogue Shinigami and the denizens of Hell itself. Her task sounded impossible. ”And that’s why I need a team. I can’t do it all myself, and right now we have a lot of efforts going on without any real organization or direction. It’s criminally haphazard. I’ve already reached out to a few people, but I’m going to try to recruit literally everyone I can.” She was aware of how ambitious she was with this project, but she had the determination to see it through. What she wanted to accomplish was necessary in her eyes, and that meant that failure wasn’t an option.

That brought her to the here and now. Marcus Cole. He was more than just a nice piece of ass, though Yoko was enjoying that part a bit. ”As for where you come in, you’re easily one of the top powerhouses in Uzaki Enterprises, and I’d love to have you work more closely alongside me. I don’t have the gusto to try and make Kazura follow my orders, and the same goes for Zeich after the thrashing he gave me a long time ago. I’ve already reached out to Luke, Jak, and yourself, but there’s plenty of others on the list.” As she had said quite a bit she let another pause occur before asked the only question on her mind that wasn’t if he wanted to skip training for a different kind of workout. Ah, such a shame he was engaged.

”So, you in?”

[Marcus Cole]

”Charmed.” As awkward as Marcus felt, he couldn’t help but be pleased with their initial reaction. Yoko displayed a kind attitude toward Marcus right off the bat, even smiling in response to his introduction. The smile was contagious, and Marcus couldn’t help but reflect her grin, though his was more nervous than confident. She seems nice, he thought to himself warmly. Marcus wasn’t the most social person. Outside of Luke, he wasn’t very close to many people, but a part of him hoped he could find a friend in Yoko.

The woman posed a question in response to Marcus’s. ”You ever read any comic books? He nodded his head in response while waiting for her to dive in to her explanation of her response team. Yoko had a good point. As Uzaki Enterprise grew, it had developed enough influence and power to deal with large threats across the human world. Unfortunately, there was no system in place that organized this response. It was more of a first-come-first-serve for whoever was available, and that was unideal against unknown dangers. A team was necessary.

” ”As for where you come in, you’re easily one of the top powerhouses in Uzaki Enterprises, and I’d love to have you work more closely alongside me.” Marcus nodded as the gears in his brain turned. He kept a straight face, unaffected by her praise. There was no denying that he was one of the stronger members of Uzaki Enterprise, especially considering his experience. Furthermore, his power was well-suited for team combat. This Response Team would benefit from his involvement.

”I don’t have the gusto to try and make Kazura follow my orders, and the same goes for Zeich after the thrashing he gave me a long time ago. I’ve already reached out to Luke, Jak, and yourself, but there’s plenty of others on the list.” Marcus was pleased to hear Luke’s name mentioned. He and the bount worked well together. As for Zeich… well, it was a good thing that Zeich wasn’t involved. Marcus kept up on reports, and he didn’t take kindly to reading that Zeich had inflicted severe injuries upon his fiancée. But Marcus didn’t let his thoughts linger on the matter, pushing his anger to the side so that he could stay focused on the matter at hand.

”So, you in?” There were a lot of reasons why the fullbringer would perform well on this Response Team. However, there was one issue. Marcus was having a hard time coming up with reasons that he wanted to join. He committed himself to Uzaki Enterprise for the sole reason of serving Kazura, and he trained daily to better fulfill that mission. But Kazura wasn’t asking him to participate in the Response Team. This was Yoko’s project. It was her vision. Yes, Marcus liked Yoko, but he didn’t believe in her, not in the way he believes in Kazura. Not yet at least.

Yoko would notice Marcus’s reluctance as he took several moments to consider her question, biting his lip in deep thought. Eventually, his gaze refocused and met hers. ”I… respect your reputation, Yoko,” he began quietly, his tone cautious and thoughtful. “But you need to convince me that I can look to you as a leader.” Marcus forced a half-hearted smile has he nudged his head toward the training room. “And I think this is the best place for you to do that.” The fullbringer reached to the dufflebag by his feet and grabbed his two throwing knives, carrying each in one hand. If he was going to truly challenge Yoko, he’d need his fullbring for certain. Once he had the weapons, he’d head into the training room, expecting Yoko to follow.

Marcus moved to the center of the room before turning to Yoko. His nervous attitude had been replaced by quiet confidence. Yes, Marcus was testing Yoko. However, she was also testing him. This was their opportunity to attain each others’ respect, and Marcus wouldn’t go easy. He had no more words to exchange. If Yoko asked him a question, he’d respond. Otherwise, there wasn’t much else to talk about. He simply took a ready stance, bending his knees and holding his knives in each hand in front of his body. The ball was in her court. Yoko knew what to do from this point forward.

[Yoko Kusanagi]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play This – House of the Rising Sun by The Animals}

”I… respect your reputation, Yoko, but you need to convince me that I can look to you as a leader. And I think this is the best place for you to do that.” So be it. Yoko could respect that Marcus wanted a show of strength as a way of proving herself to him. They knew each other’s capabilities on paper alone, and reports could be forged. It was unlikely that either of these Fullbringers would have done something like that, but it was still completely different to see someone fight in person. Yet again it was different to fight against them yourself. Yoko had originally planned a spar as part of the reason she wanted to see Marcus anyway so that much was within expectations.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Yoko followed him out into the room, having binned the rest of her coffee and finished the last few bites of the bagel. ”Before we begin, answer me one thing. I’m sorry if it seems rude, but I don’t want to accidentally kill you. You know how physically strong I am right? What’s your bench press at? That’ll give me a good idea of how hard I can hit. And don’t give me that bullshit that some people try to about pride and taking all my strength. Not everyone has super strength, and I don’t want to overestimate your durability and literally kill you.” She was quite firm in getting some kind of number or measure of strength out of Marcus before they started anything.

While Yoko had a good deal of respect for Marcus, and intended to give the fight her all, she would also pull her punches a little to avoid accidentally hospitalizing or killing a colleague. If Marcus thought poorly of her for that, then that was his problem, not hers. She was here to learn what to expect from Marcus, and the same was true in reverse. Sure, Yoko could try to prove her fitness for leadership by overwhelming strength, but that was the way of an Arrancar, not a human. Her mission involved compassion as much as it involved power. If she wanted to save humanity then how could she go around killing its guardians in a sparring match?

Once she had some kind of indication from Marcus, she had a few more things to say before they began. ”I know this is what you asked for, but I also just want to say that I don’t see this as the best way to test my leadership capabilities. I want to make it clear that I call myself a leader right now only because of a lack of other members. I envision myself more as a face of the response team than someone with all the answers. My philosophy on this topic is that everyone has a role they are best suited for, and that’s why I want to experience everyone’s capabilities first hand. I want to know all the ins and outs of their powers and abilities so that we can deploy our resources better.

Strength isn’t the be all end all qualification, and I hope that this spar will not be all you judge me on. That said, I do intend to keep this a spar. I have zero plans of coming at you will killing intent just to prove some macho point, but I will only hold back on attacks if I am worried they would actually kill you. I hope you don’t take issue with that.” Yoko felt she had made her stance on this topic quite clear by this point. Hopefully it reflected well on what kind of leader she might be. She had respect for Marcus’s power and ability, but she valued his safety over pomp and bravado.

With her thoughts out in the open, she bowed to her opponent and took up a fighting stance with her left side in front. The time for words was over at this point. The Kunlun Master took the initiative in the spar. She had taken her stance only a few paces away from Marcus. The gap was closed with a sliding round kick with her left leg aimed at hip height. Her strength and speed with both held back to peak human levels on that opening strike, but that was according to plan. As soon as the kick would have reached him, the leg was pulled back and rechambered. That first move had been a feint, meant to literally lower his guard.

From there she spun into a hook kick to the head with her right leg. Her speed no longer restrained, but her power was still held back to levels that wouldn’t injure Marcus too much if it hit. The pace had been deliberately slow at first to throw him off his game. If he thought that’s the pace the fight would stay at, then he was mistaken. The only way that Yoko planned to hold back was with her physical strength, and that was just to avoid killing him. Her skill and speed were unrestrained. The skill was something Marcus would realize right away. Yoko’s form was perfection. There were no obvious openings in her guard, and each movement she performed would have been good enough to use for a textbook reference photo.

On the other hand, Yoko had already looked over Marcus’s stance. It wasn’t bad. He was clearly trained in some form of martial arts, but his stance wasn’t quite what Yoko would call perfect. She had resisted the urge to issue corrections. Perhaps his style was like that. She would have more information to work on after a few blows were traded either way. What she was curious about was how he would utilize the knives. She kept a close eye on his hand position and arm movements while she unleashed those attacks, as Yoko was quite aware that a mistake on her part could easily lead to a slashed tendon. If the situation called for it, she would pull back on her attack, but the question remained as to just how Marcus would respond.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Strength - [400(800)] Points

Speed - [250(375)] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300(150)] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [100(50)] Points

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [165] Points

Senses [185] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1400]

• [Martial Art: Kunlun] {3}
  
  
• [Weapon: Sword {3}
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Calm Mind] {2}
  
  
• [Anti-Stealth] {3}
  
  
• [Weapon:Guns] {1}
  
  

[Marcus Cole]

”Before we begin, answer me one thing. I’m sorry if it seems rude, but I don’t want to accidentally kill you. You know how physically strong I am right? What’s your bench press at?” That was a fair question. Once upon a time, Marcus possessed awesome superhuman strength, but his body wasn’t the same as it used to be. He had reached the peak of his human body, but had a hard time pushing past those mortal limits. “About two-hundred and seventy…” …on a good day, he thought to himself. It was a high-end estimate, but one that was close enough to the weight he could consistently bench.

”I know this is what you asked for, but I also just want to say that I don’t see this as the best way to test my leadership capabilities.” Marcus neither agreed nor disagreed. She didn’t see how a training session helped him evaluate her non-combat skills, but Marcus learned a lot from someone through combat. He said a lot about himself in his fighting style as well. Words were not his strong suit, and the spar would allow Yoko to display what type of person she was in a more physical manner, whether she was aware of her self-expression or not.

On the bright side, she wanted to see Marcus’s strengths and weaknesses in combat, so she’d gain something from the duel as well. ”I have zero plans of coming at you will killing intent just to prove some macho point, but I will only hold back on attacks if I am worried they would actually kill you. I hope you don’t take issue with that.” Marcus responded with a humble smile. “Likewise.” As Yoko bowed to him, he nodded his head in kind. And with that, the spar had begun.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Cue Music}

Yoko was quick to launch an attack. A simple kick to his waist. Fast and straightforward. She was not one to beat around the bush. Now, Marcus could guess from her question about his bench press that Yoko was strong. Crazy strong. Thus, he wasn’t about to try and block her kick directly. His right foot guided his evasive back step, putting him just out of range of Yoko’s foot. The two were about even in speed, although Marcus had a slight edge. It wasn’t enough for him to properly close in after having just stepped back.

When Yoko’s kick came down, she continued her assault, executing a hook kick directed at Marcus’s head with her other leg. This was his opportunity to act. With his leading left foot, Marcus stepped forward into Yoko’s guard, his head ducking under her leg and moving past her foot to prevent her from bringing her heal down on him. As he moved, he also activated Energy Generate: Shine. A single bead of light formed on his right index finger. Simultaneously, his right hand lunged forward with his knife pointing toward Yoko, moving to pierce her left hip as she came down from the kick.

It wasn’t a feint meant to catch Yoko’s eye. He had barely initiated the lunge before springing Energy Generate: Shine. The tiny golden ball on his finger exploded with the light of a dozen fireworks. It was enough to blind Yoko for a couple seconds. With a well-timed blink, he’d be able to avoid inhibiting his own sight. Now, it’d be perfectly natural for Yoko to panic in such a situation and retaliate quickly. Marcus wasn’t about to make himself vulnerable to such a response. Right after Shine was activated, he’d twist his leading left foot and activate Movement to rush out of the immediate vicinity of Yoko. He’d use the step technique to travel just three feet from Yoko, but that alone would be enough to put him out of harm’s way. Better safe than sorry.

Now, Marcus only had a small window to act, but he could move swiftly and silently. With his level of stealth, Yoko would have no way of knowing that he had even repositioned himself. He’d quietly slip behind Yoko and deliver a quick, direct kick to the inside of her left knee in an effort to break her stance. As he did, he’d jab the blunt end of his right knife into her right shoulder blade, pushing Yoko forward. Yoko was a strong individual, and it’d be difficult to forcefully push her even if he caught her by surprise. However, the real purpose of his attack was to leave imprints of his reiatsu on those points on contact: her right shoulder and the back of her left knee. Thanks to his unique technique Shadow Punch, he could use those reiatsu imprints to attack her later on, but he’d wait for the perfect opportunity to do so. For now, the ball was in her court.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2450/2500 (-25 for Shine, -25 for Movement)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Energy Generate: Shine}
Technique Name: [Energy Generate: Shine]

Class: [6]

Technique Type: [Energy Generate]

Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): [HWDs]

Technique Element: [Light]

Technique Description and Effects (Explain appearance, powers, and effect): [Insert Below]

The user harnesses their energy to a single point: the tip of the finger. At that finger, they will have a pebble-sized ball of golden light glowing intensely. The user then has two options. Firstly, they can either fire the ball of light as a miniature beam that releases a small explosion the size of a beach ball upon impact. The alternative option is releasing the technique without any direction, causing it to harmlessly emit a blinding, white flash. Those looking directly at the light from less than fifteen feet away will feel as though they had been hit with a flash grenade. Even to those looking from further away, the light would impair their vision for half a second.

How to use technique (How is it activated?): [Insert Below]

Stated above.

Technique Drawbacks (Limitations, repercussions for use, etc) (Insert Below)

It costs 25 reiatsu to form the ball of light on a single finger. However, if the technique is mastered, the user can pay 100 reiatsu to create five light balls, one on each finger of their hand, or 200 reiatsu to do so for all fingers of both hands. If the user loses focus while the light is concentrated at their fingertips, it will destabilize Energy Generate: Shine and cause the flashbang effect to instantly occur, blinding the unprepared user as well.

Made By: Marcus Cole

Reserved? (Yes/No) (Can others use your technique, or just your character?): [No]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shadow Punch}
Technique Name: [Shadow Punch]*

Class: [4]

Technique Type (Kido, Hollow/Arrancar Technique, Human World Dweller Technique, Other): [Other]

Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): [All Races]

Technique Element: [None]

Technique Description and Effects (Explain appearance, powers, and effect): [Insert Below]

Marcus's fighting style is extremely fast paced and is focussed on eliminating his opponent as quickly as possible by dominating in close-combat with his lightning fast speed and superhuman strength. However, in hopes in increase the amount of blows he can land in a period of time, Marcus has created this technique. All it requires for activation is direct contact or contact through a weapon, and Marcus must then leave a minuscule imprint on his target that way, even if the contact is for a split second. Marcus may then activate this technique whenever he wishes, and doing so causes the target to be hit only in the area that Marcus had contacted with a force similar to a punch with the power of the user's strength or reiatsu strength behind it. The technique lasts for five posts, and unless activated before then, it will fade away. While the reiatsu is being focussed, only mastered techniques may be used due to the concentration required to purge themselves of Marcus's reiatsu.

How to use technique (How is it activated?): [Insert Below]

Stated above.

Technique Drawbacks (Limitations, repercussions for use, etc) (Insert Below)

First of all, this technique requires the user to pay 100 reiatsu to activate. In addition, in order to be used, the user must first make contact with his opponent, making it impossible to land without having already closed the distance first, forcing the user to rely on his or her own abilities to use this technique. In addition, one with an energy sensory of more than 200 may detect the reiatsu placed on them.

There are ways to remove this technique. Either by concentrating reiatsu on the area that had been touched, the target may rid themselves of Marcus's trace of reiatsu after two posts. Quincy, due to their natural ability to absorb reiatsu, only take one post of focussing their reiatsu to rid themselves of the shadow punch, and after two posts, whether they're aware of the technique or not, they will unconsciously absorb it.

Made By: Nightwing

Reserved? (Yes/No) (Can others use your technique, or just your character?): Yes, but it may be taught.

[Yoko Kusanagi]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Music - NKOHA - Anguish of Heartache}

As an expert in close quarters combat she saw that Marcus wasn’t about to be hit by her kick and stopped the follow-up attack a bit before it would have hit him. The man had already dodged from the feint, and continuing that second attack through open air was pointless. That said, she was decently exposed in the midst of a kick, and her “opponent” had pressed in at a good timing. Thankfully her fighting style, Kunlun, was one that favored acrobatic movements from angles that would leave some other disciplines a bit perplexed. With just her left foot rooted on the ground, and the aid of her immense strength, she was able to push off and send herself bounding backwards.

This action had been taken as Yoko had seen the attack coming for her. Without any talent for sensing energy, she had no clue what the little glowing ball of light was, and had figured both that and the knife to be a physical threat. Obviously distance was the answer there, and so she made a few feet with the backwards hop. Unfortunately for her, the ball of light that came out was not a projectile she could swat away, but rather a bright flash of light. She closed her eyes, but she was a second too late. For a moment her vision was effectively worthless. Definitely not desirable in a situation like this, but Yoko had a few other tricks up her sleeve that kept her from being out of luck at this moment.

With her eyes held shut she listened carefully to the sounds around her. Between her animalistic senses and her ability at tracking stealthy targets she was able to at least follow the general direction that she was being approached from without any real issue. Try though he might, Marcus still made some noise. The sound of his shirt stretching and compacting as he moved. His feet gently caressing the ground. Breath leaving his chest. Together all these things were enough to reveal him without even a glance. Of course it helped that Yoko was focused on locating him in that moment. Were she not paying close attention to the sounds around here at that moment then she likely wouldn’t have noticed any of those subtle hints.

But that only gave her a direction, not any details. Her eyes were still seeing white from the flash attack that the other Fullbringer had used. Luckily for her, she didn’t need anything more than a direction. She didn’t even need to turn and face her sparring partner. With a quick pop of her right elbow, she jabbed behind her towards where the noise was coming from. This wasn’t a strike directly at Marcus, but at the air between them. It was a short movement, no more than a foot of movement, but it was suitable to display a technique that Yoko had mastered: Fist (or elbow) of Unbroken Air.

From her elbow, a rushing blast of wind slammed outwards at her sparring partner. Like her kicks before, the strength was restrained to not hurt her coworker, but it still packed enough of a wallop that it would halt Marcus’s attack in its tracks by shoving him a few feet backwards. This was, without a doubt, her signature technique. Perhaps it was even more used and more iconic than her actual Fullbring. Yoko was a defensive fighter that had turned the monstrous art of shockwave punches into a much more gentle and refined form of defense. She could launch Fist of Unbroken Air off of nearly any part of her body, and as Marcus was likely to figure out, it meant that approaching her in melee was a very tricky thing to do.

Luckily for him, her strength was held back. Were it not for that, then the man would have been sent careening into a wall if he took the full brunt of that attack. As Yoko had told him, she was not fighting to kill. This was merely her showcasing her talents and her style of fighting. It sent a simple message to her opponent. You can’t touch me. Since developing this technique, Yoko had become quite a challenge to hit. Sure, she could hold her own with just her raw hand to hand ability and brute strength, but this was the technique that made her dangerous while unreleased. Could Marcus find a way past it without resorting to his Fullbring?

He would have to figure that out soon, because Yoko wasn’t about to give him time to recover in peace. She turned to face him, her eyes still half blind from the flashbang, and threw a proper punch in his direction. Wherever he had ended up after the result of her counter didn’t change much there. He still had a punch, or more accurately a blast of air, headed in his direction. All of this was still restrained to normal human athlete strength as well. It was still plenty to push Marcus around if he faced it head on, but not enough to do him any harm. The question now was whether or not he figured out what Yoko had done with her counter.

The situation thus far was more of a headgame than a brawl. They were feeling each other out. Marcus had tried slippery tactics and subterfuge, but Yoko was one of the only people trained to specifically fight against those kinds of tactics. Her expertise in Anti-Stealth, as well as in a defensive combat style, was sure to make close combat an interesting proposition for her coworker to deal with. Could he pull out another trick, especially as Yoko’s eyesight returned, or would he simply try more of the same? Would he double down on attempts at trickery and stealth, or would he assume that it wasn’t a lucky guess on Yoko’s part? She didn’t know the answer to those questions, but she was eager to find out.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Fist of Unbroken Air}
Technique Name: [Fist of Unbroken Air]

Class: [1]

Technique Type: [Martial]

Usable By: [Anyone who meets the requirements: 800 strength AND have mastered Low Pressure AND have a 3 in either Kunlun or Baguazhang]

Technique Element: [Wind]

Technique Description and Effects: [This technique is something developed by Yoko after mastering Low Pressure, and reaching a truly high level of strength. Those with incredible strength are generally able to fire of shockwaves of raw power that can unleash terrible devastation. Such shockwaves have even been known to bypass Hierro. An unintended side effect of Low Pressure was that her shockwaves did not develop in the same way as most high-strength fighters. Instead of striking so hard that she shatters the air, her strength lets her "push" the air. At the most basic level, the difference between shockwaves and this technique is that the shockwave will "punch" things and this technique will "push" things.

Effectively, this technique allows Yoko to use her physical prowess to send out blasts of air. At learned or proficient status, it is only good for basic, ki-blast style gusts of wind from the hands or feet. The bursts of wind push things with force equivalent to Yoko's physical strength. That's the thing though. This technique doesn't cause direct damage, it just sends things flying. Granted, those who horribly neglect their strength may still get injured. If Yoko's physical strength exceeds that of the target by at least five times (ie: less than 160 strength target when Yoko has 800 strength) then they will still suffer bruising on impact. If her strength exceeds theirs by ten times (ie: less than 80 strength target when Yoko has 800 strength) then broken bones are expected. On the off chance that Yoko manages to exceed their strength by twenty times (ie: less than 40 strength target when Yoko has 800 strength) the impact alone is likely to incapacitate them. However, ALL impact damage is completely negated by any skin defense (ie: Hierro) or armor that can withstand at least one fifth of Yoko's strength (ie: Fancy Suit Mk 1 or Amaya's Tattersall Bindings). That won't stop them from going flying though, unless the defense specifically negates stuff like that (looking at you, Blut).

Regardless, the real risk of injury is what happens when they STOP moving. Slamming into walls at high speeds is rarely fun without high strength. If an emeny is hit by Fist of Unbroken Air, then they will go flying at a speed equal to Yoko's strength. The strength of this technique technically works off of impact strength, since it is a martial technique. That means it can be combo'd with techniques like Impact, and can bypass the 3x cap.

Mastery grants a finer level of control. The gusts of wind can be shaped to a degree. With mastery, Yoko can do things like change the gust to be a thin stream of air, a crescent, or even a sphere. Only simple shapes though. No sending any realistic drawings of Ben Franklin at anyone with this technique. The other advantage of mastery is that Yoko can launch the technique from any muscle she can flex. Tensing up everything at once can even briefly create a sphere of air around her that repels any weaker attack! Mastery also allows this to be used with weapons, assuming the user has a 3 in that weapon skill. Really though, the best perk of mastery in Yoko's eyes is the ability to hold back. With mastery the strength of this technique can be reduced as low as 1/10th of her current strength.

As a purely martial technique, this does not cost any reiatsu. Despite that, the gusts of air can clash with reiatsu. If the margin is close enough that the techniques cancel out, then the other technique will just be stopped in its tracks, and probably explode. If the margin is high enough that Fist of Unbroken Air completely overpowers the other technique, it will actively redirect it back along the path that Fist of Unbroken Air was following.]

How to use technique (How is it activated?): [At learned or proficient: punch or kick without holding strength back, and a blast of air comes out. With mastery, any movement or muscle flexed can send a burst of wind flying.]

Technique Drawbacks: [First, there are strict requirements to learn this technique. A minimum of 800 strength is required, as well as a 3 in one of two martial arts (listed above). A previous technique is required to be mastered, and that technique requires points in Calm Mind. Also, like Low Pressure caused Gravity Crushing to be lost forever, Fist of Unbroken Air causes the basic shockwave ability to be forever lost. Also, this technique will basically never do damage against a fighter of equal class unless they are standing next to a brick wall and have both low strength and no defenses. It's more of a defensive counterpart to shockwaves, which limits the damage output significantly. Oh, it can also be completely resisted (like, the target won't even move an inch) if they have strength 50% higher than Yoko. Others can resist being blown away by a variety of methods, including random stuff like Soul Commanding the ground they're standing on to be really sticky.]

Made By: Yoko Kusanagi

Reserved?: [Yes, but can be taught to, and mastered by, others if Yoko chooses to teach them all the secrets.]

[Marcus Cole]

All it took was a jab of the elbow. Marcus noticed the intent behind her action right as she began to execute the maneuver, although he wasn’t cautious enough. She might be able to detect me, but she’s not in a position where she can defend herself, he thought with misplaced confidence. Marcus had a lot of respect for Yoko’s incredible ability to notice his position despite his highly refined stealth skill. That was a feat very few were capable of. But he didn’t foresee her second surprise.

The gust of wind that her elbow shot backwards wasn’t particularly strong, but it was more than enough to stop Marcus’s momentum and toss him several feet backward. The fullbringer, a expert acrobat, simply transitioned this push into a back flip to land comfortably on his feet without losing balance, but despite his quick recovery, Marcus was taken aback by that ability. It’s like a shockwave, but not… he thought to himself. Shockwaves hit with more force, but this was like a firm push. It reminded him of that kido ability Harle had used a couple of times. Shi? Shon? Something like that.

But it seemed that Yoko wasn’t going to give him much time. She already cocked her arm back to release another punch. Yoko had good form too, easily adjusting her position to face Marcus without compromising her footing or skipping a beat. Marcus could tell that she was a better martial artist than he was, at least at the moment. The fullbringer was still a bit clumsy with his escrima and hadn’t returned to the level of mastery he had attained before being hospitalized a while ago. There was little chance that he’d win a straight-forward fist fight. But if he could use trickery to keep Yoko on her toes, he might just emerge on top.

Thus, Yoko’s preparation of her punch was met by a second activation of Energy Generate: Shine. Yoko’d notice the ball of light appear on Marcus’s left index finger as she threw her fist out toward him, activating Fist of Broken Air once more. But Marcus wasn’t about to stand still and take the force of her blow. He was uniquely skilled in Movement and was able to use this skill to instantly activate the Movement step technique, allowing him to reposition himself about ten feet from Yoko’s left. That distance was enough to threaten his colleague while still making it difficult for her to close in on him.

And when Marcus reappeared, he’d have his left index finger aimed toward Yoko as his hand gripped the knife. It was the same position he had his hand in when he blinded Yoko initially, and based on here squinting, it was clear that her vision was still affected by the light. Marcus’s goal was to force Yoko to retreat with her eyes shut so that she can avoid damaging her sight further and prevent Marcus from launching a second, possibly more successful sneak-attack.

If Yoko did as Marcus expected, he’d wait until her eyes shut before executing his real strategy. Energy Generate: Shine, while useful flashbang, was also a beam attack. The moment Yoko shut her eyes and began to back off, Marcus would point his finger at the ground in front of her feet. His finger would follow her, even if she used a step-technique to back off. Regardless of how she chose to make distance between them, Marcus would release the beam attack. It traveled very quickly, much like Hado #4: Byakurai. And when it struck the ground, it’d release a beach ball-sized explosion.

Marcus would aim the beam so that Yoko’s legs were just outside the explosive range, so they wouldn’t suffer any burns but the force of displaced air from the burst of energy would still harmlessly knock her off balance. This strategy did really on an assumption, and there was a chance Yoko didn’t act as Marcus anticipated for whatever reason. If she instead followed a different course of action, Marcus would hold off on activating Energy Generate: Shine and take a reactive mindset.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2400/2500 (-25 for Movement, -25 for Shine)

[Yoko Kusanagi]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play This - Furi OST - Kn1ght - Something Memorable}

Unsurprisingly, the first hit landed didn’t do any major damage to her coworker. That was a good thing. Given where his physical strength was at, that blow could have been a fight ender if she hadn’t restrained herself. The second blow was at the same strength, but this one didn’t manage a hit. Marcus buzzed around in a step of movement to dodge it, but Yoko didn’t have any real issue tracking that one. Marcus held a slight speed advantage, but it was close enough to be negligible. With a mere use of movement, he wasn’t going to catch her slipping, nor was he going to find any success in attempting the same tactics again.

Marcus had reappeared on her left, and Yoko casually moved her head to so that she could just barely see him out of the periphery of her vision. If the fight dictated it, then she’d fully turn to face him to counter some attack of his, but her gut feeling was that the man would vanish from that spot again and try some sort of misdirection for another sneak attack. That movement never did come though. In its place, Marcus just charged up another annoying little flash of light. This time however, Yoko knew what was coming, and was quick to close her left eye that faced towards him. She didn’t much feel like being completely blinded after all.

In that instant that her eye closed, Marcus fired off his beam attack towards her feet. It would have worked, but her coworker didn’t have a complete picture. Because of how Yoko had been standing, he would have only seen her left eye, and that eye was closed. That was the trigger for him to fire, as she couldn’t see him for that moment. But then Yoko did exactly what she had planned to do, and turned her head little bit more to reveal a still wide open right eye. She had planned to deal with the blindness by just swapping eyes back and forth, but instead found the energy beam headed her way thanks to her right eye.

Given that she didn’t know if it would still end up being a flash of light when the beam struck something or not, she kept her left eye closed for the moment. Her left arm was adjusted slightly so that her hand faced out towards the beam, and she bounded off straight at Marcus with a single step. In only a fraction of a second, her left arm of spiritual steel cleaved straight through the beam, pushed through any explosion it might have caused, and threatened to punch Marcus right in the sternum. It did ruin the left sleeve of her sweater, but she didn’t really care. Her strength was still held back, and it was merely the durability of her mechanical arm that allowed her to withstand the attack without harm.

Yoko’s step had purposely aimed to have her land literally on top of Marcus though. If he didn’t move from his spot, then all the momentum of her rush would allow her to plow right into him. She knew that he couldn’t really resist her physically, so he’d have to dodge in some way most likely. That was what Yoko was waiting for though. Her left eye had reopened after her arm cleaved through the beam, and she would be able to follow whatever counter Marcus used without too much issue since this secondary version of the technique just exploded, rather than blinded. This attack was far too direct to have any chance of catching Marcus off guard, but that was fine.

Assuming that Marcus dodged her first attack in the sequence, there was a nasty little problem that followed it. Yoko chambered her fist back to her side, and with that movement she unleashed the companion technique to her first one: Grasp of Shou-Lao. This was the pull to her earlier push. Unless Marcus was on top form, he’d find the air around him seemed to grab him and rip him back towards Yoko. He wasn’t strong enough to directly oppose the force of the winds, especially since Yoko hadn’t held back her strength on this one. If he was caught in the currents, then he’d be dragged towards her with force of 800 at a speed of the same value.

In the event that he was caught in that, then he’d be delivered right into a cross from Yoko, at her normally restrained strength value. She wasn’t confident that all this would go off without a hitch, but it was a fast-paced combo that wouldn’t give her coworker much time to think about what was happening. He’d have to rely on his instinct and experience to get him out of this one in one piece. There were a number of ways he could manage it, but Yoko wasn’t really holding back in terms of effort, just in terms of how hard she would try to punch him. Would Marcus keep trying to deal with her using nothing but little tricks, or would he get serious as well?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Grasp of Shou-Lao}Technique Name: [Grasp of Shou-Lao]

Class: [1]

Technique Type: [Martial]

Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): [Anyone who meets the requirements listed in drawbacks.]

Technique Element: [Martial/Air]

Technique Description and Effects: [The twin to, and yet opposite of, Fist of Unbroken Air. The predecessor to this technique is only a subtle, though not unimportant, difference from what any physically strong being can do. This is one of the extensions that shows the true versatility of forsaking raw power for finesse.

Effectively, this technique allows Yoko to use her physical prowess to forcibly pull the air, and anything within that air, towards her. At learned or proficient status, it is only good for basic uses that pull things right towards her. The rush of wind pulls things with force equivalent to Yoko's physical strength. Unlike Fist of Unbroken Air, this one will NEVER cause direct damage. It will only pull anything in its path, including reiatsu based attacks that it is at least as strong as. In a tie, this technique will still be able to pull the other technique, because this does not directly oppose it, only guide it. Of note, there is no reiatsu signature since it's a physical technique, and it's just air moving, and air is invisible unless filled with smog.

Mastery is what makes this technique truly useful. It allows two other distinct changes. The first is that the path of the air can be controlled to a degree. Nothing elaborate like loop the loops, but it can be curved very slightly. The limit on this is about 45 degrees, meaning it can't take a corner unless it's a really lazy corner, or everyone is in exactly the right spot with a fairly wide hallway.

The second perk of mastery is a change to how it effects the space where the air is initially pulled from. With mastery, the control is so absolute, and the movement so precise, that every last molecule of air is pulled out, causing a vacuum no bigger than the users's strength divided by 100, in cubic feet. So, for 800 strength, you'd have (800/100)=8 cubic feet of vacuum. It will only last an instant, but any flames in that area will be extinguished, barring spiritual flames with a superior offensive stat, since they need oxygen to burn. Everything else, predictably, will briefly behave as it would in a vacuum, because it is in one. Within a second or two of the technique being used, the vacuum will fill back in, and everything will return to normal.

As a purely martial technique, this does not cost any reiatsu. It's generally a defensive or utility technique. The intended use she had in mind when she made it was to either pull allies out of the way of attacks, or pulls attacks away from allies. That being said, it can possibly cause harm in one of two ways. The first is by pulling someone into harm's way (such as pulling them into her fist). The second is the possible adverse effects of being exposed to a vacuum, but that exposure is brief enough that it would just feel like they got the air knocked out of them. While this technique is based on strength, it is NOT based on impact strength. It will work with pure strength boosts like pulley, but not with impact. Anything caught in the airflow of this technique will accelerate to a speed equal to Yoko's strength, unless it is already moving faster than that. If it's faster, then it will just maintain its current speed but alter direction.]

How to use technique (How is it activated?): [Physically pull the air backwards as hard as you can]

Technique Drawbacks: [First are the requirements. This technique cannot be performed without at least 600 strength and a 3 in a strike-based martial art. However, only Kunlun or Baguazhang users can master this technique. Additionally, one must have mastered Low Pressure and Fist of Unbroken Air to use this technique. The technique is limited to a range of Strength/10 feet, so it's not able to be used over incredibly large distances. It also telegraphs notably, so it's not that hard to avoid getting pulled if you just watch Yoko's movements and have battle analysis.]

Made By: Yoko Kusanagi

Reserved?: [Yes, but can be learned and mastered by others if Yoko chooses to teach them all the secrets of it.]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Yoko’s arm is made by Kaido 68 @ 800 RS}[Kaido #68: Kinzoku-shi (Metal Limb)]

Class: [3]

Technique Type: [Kido]

Technique Element: [Healing/Metal]

Technique Description and Effects: [Like Kaido #7, this is a brutal but effective technique. For a healing art, it is incredibly mean. This Kaido summons a limb of metal that can be plugged into the body of an injured ally. Why is this technique mean? Because attaching a new limb to the body will shock the nervous system. This limb will have speed and strength equal to that of whoever it is attached to, and will generally function just like the original limb did. The only difference is that this limb is made of spiritual steel. This means that this limb is far more durable than most flesh and blood. The toughness of the limb is based on the reiatsu strength of the caster of this technique, not the wearer of the limb. It will always be equal to the reiatsu strength of the caster at the time the limb was made, so it will retain its power even if the caster is killed. ]

How to use technique: [Concentrate reiatsu between your hands and outline the shape of the limb you wish to create, leaving a trail of reiatsu in the wake of your hands. This will form the limb, which must then physically be plugged into the person in need.]

Incantation and Effect: [“Forge of the gods, give me a rod of steel that I may shape it into the image of man! You have created us in your image, and now I seek to repair your creation. I beseech thee Hephaestus; bless this steel with your power!” The incantation allows for the limb to last permanantly.]

Drawback: [This technique can only be learned and used by members of Squad 4 with at least 150 healing expertise. This process is extremely painful. If used on a target with no pain tolerance, they will likely pass out. Pain tolerance 1 allows them to stay conscious, but they will be in agony. Pain tolerance 2 allows them to stay conscious, but they will be hindered by the pain slightly. Pain tolerance 3 prevents this drawback. In addition, this technique can only be used if the target is not protecting the spot in any way. If they have hierro or an armor technique covering the spot, it will not penetrate unless the target purposely lowers that defense. Furthermore, if this technique is used without the incantation, the limb will only last for 12 posts before disintegrating back into reishi.]

Made by: [Amaya Azarola]

[Marcus Cole]

Marcus was not the kind to openly show emotion, especially in the midst of combat. However, despite his stone-cold expression, he couldn’t help but be impressed with Yoko’s clever strategy. One eye at a time? She’s resourceful. It’s moments like this that capture exactly the kind of traits Marcus was hoping to see from Yoko. Her experience was obvious, but he already knew that the woman was battle-hardened. Now, she was showing off her creativity and quick wit. That was valuable information.

As Marcus released his beam of light, Yoko’s stance and composure made a very sudden change. Subtle, but sudden. Her rear foot twisted as its knee bent, as if it were a gun cocking itself back. Marcus immediately anticipated a step technique, one that would allow Yoko to use her superior strength to punch through the beam just before she continued forward and rammed Marcus himself. The possibility of getting struck at step-tech speed by someone as strong as Yoko was not an appealing one.

With Brighter Light, Marcus kicked off his right foot so that he vanished and reappeared twenty feet to his left, where he witnessed Yoko leap to the position that he had occupied only a split second earlier. No Movement? he thought to himself. So she is taking it easy to avoid hurting me. Marcus was a little annoyed by Yoko’s excessive restraint. It was better to be safe than sorry, but at the same time, he felt that she was underestimating him if she really thought she could land a true hit at her base speed. I wish she’d take things up a notch.

And at that moment, Marcus realized he spoke too soon. Yoko forcefully cocked her left arm back, and with that motion, Marcus’s body was immediately yanked toward her. His wide-eyed expression said it all. She can pull me in too? Yoko Kusanagi was no joke. Marcus was beginning to understand why Kazura entrusted her as his second-in-command when Uzaki Enterprise was first established. She’s dangerous.

At the speed that Marcus’s body was moving, he had no time to employ his acrobatic skills and maneuver out of harm’s way. Especially not with Yoko’s right fist darting towards him as well. There was little time to strategize. His main objective was avoiding that punch, and due to the urgency of the situation, he had to rely on an ability that he had full mastery over in order to activate it in time. The first ability that came to mind was Soul Dominance, the enhanced version of Soul Command.

Soul Dominance allowed Marcus to control the souls of the ordinary world in his favor. As he was only a couple of feet from Yoko’s tight fist, his Soul Dominance would create a burst of air beween himself and Yoko. The air would push out in all direction with a force equal to Marcus’s 600 RS. That force would be enough to knock Yoko backward. However, it was insufficient for stopping Marcus in his tracks. Thanks to the inelastic nature of the collision, the burst of air could still redirect his body toward a diagonal velocity, one opposite of the direction that Yoko’s fist was coming in, and slow him down. However, this would not be enough to stop him from slamming hard into the wall.

Agh, he thought, holding back a groan as he collected his wits at the foot of the wall. His back took most of the brute force. His shirt was surely hiding dark blue and purple bruises all across his shoulder blade. Fortunately, nothing was broken. Fractured perhaps, but not broken. Yoko’d have to stop herself from slamming into the wall as well if she wanted to avoid taking similar damage.

Although Marcus was a bit beat up, he was still in fighting condition. The pain was relatively mild compared to more severe injuries, and he could certainly push through it to keep the sparring session going. But because they were briefly disengaged, this was a prime opportunity to get some thoughts off his chest. “That’s the first time I’ve seen anyone pull with a shockwave, how’d you learn how to do that?” he asked with eager curiosity. This might be Yoko’s first time seeing Marcus’s true personality, the person he was beneath his timid awkwardness. While talking about fighting style and techniques, he as comfortable as ever, but if Yoko tried to ask him about his day, he’d freeze right back up. It was a kind of funny.

But comfortable Marcus was more than willing to get a few more tough questions answered as well. The more he interacted with Yoko, the more he grew to like her. However, there was one glaring flaw she had in his eyes, and he needed her to address it. “You’re pretty strong, Yoko, but I have to ask… you were gone for a while. A lot happened, much of it bad. Some of… some of us had to deal with that,” Marcus said, his gaze dropping toward the end of the sentence. Yoko must have read the reports and heard about Marcus’s nearly fatal injury that stripped him of his powers over a year prior. That wound was still raw.

“What I’m trying to say is did you return? And are you here to stay?”

Reiatsu Remaining: 2200/2500 (-50 for Bringer Light, -150 for Soul Dominance)