Catching Up [Joint Training, CTP]

[Kaen Youji]

This is a CTP Joint Training thread between Kaen Youji and Hikari Nisei

Out in the many districts of Rukongai were many secret hideaways or areas that had fallen into disuse. Kaen had found a great many of these in his youth, stalking and slipping through the outer districts. Somehow it was a wonder he'd never been beset by one of the nastier denizens of these locales, but here he was today. A shopping district wasn't far from where he had gone, and he had taken a seat on the veranda of an old, dilapidated building that he suspected may have once been communal housing. It clearly hadn't been used in some time, nor was this street particularly frequented. A good, isolated place to train. Some onlookers might come by, but it was where collateral damage could be minimal. Kaen had invited one of his promising subordinates out here to train, outside of Seireitei. Hikari Nisei, or "Angel" as she went by, had demonstrated many of the qualities of a good officer of Soul Society, and Kaen was interested in seeing her develop. He'd invited her out, specifically to practice under different environments. It seemed she'd already gone out on several sorties and missions, and returned with generally favorable results. That was good. He was looking forward to her progress.

Kaen had a tray of rice balls beside him, which he absently picked at, staring determinedly at the building across the street. Shadows were starting to form under his eyes from the overwork he was putting himself through. Overworking himself, to keep himself from thinking too much. A slight shift of his shoulders and Kaen managed to pop his back a few times. Well. He had been working on improving too. Today, marked a day he could test the fruits of his own labors in this match. As Angel tested her own improvement, he could test his. He hoped it would be a useful day for both of them. The Vice Captain glanced up at the sky. It was looking to be around the time that he had asked Angel to meet him here, but he knew that this was a spot well out of the way. It might take her some time to locate the venue of their sparring session. He figured he could give her plenty of time, regardless.

[Angel]

There were many places, as well as people that would be forgotten. Hikari Nisei when having received a summons by her Vice Captain was understandably surprised. After all, she was not yet a seated officer, and she didn’t quite want to make it known the nature of her Shikai. One may even say that she would opt that it didn’t exist. However, as she appeared in the Rukongai today, two blades rested along herself. One was the bone blade she had collected on one of her missions. The other blade was her own Zanpakutou which she called her own. As she entered, she could see the old decrepit part of the area, and she wondered partially if the reason why it seemed was so empty was due to Hollow attacks.

A haunting screech filled her mind at the thought of Santa Ajora, but she eventually came down, her eyes bright and a light smile. This was a time to be proud, to celebrate, to be glad. “To be requested by Youji-Sama himself.” Dashing at her full speed for around thirty seconds, she stopped, then looked around herself. “Really is quite the honor isn’t it Angel?” There was a freeze, and with it, a voice replied back. “Surely.” Slapping her Zanpakutou’s sheath with her right hand, she frowned. “Quiet you.” With that, she looked around herself, looking for a hint of where the man was located. It soon became clear, because she saw him.

He stared at the building across the street, and with that, she ceased, and stretched her arms and legs. “Unseated Officer...Angel reporting for duty.” She didn’t like her real name, so Nisei replaced Kuchiki, and Angel replaced it entirely. It was her own little identity among the Shinigami of the court guard squads, and it sort of defined her. She did whatever she saw was to the benefit of the Soul Society. In her mind, whatever Soul Society asked for was what Soul Society should get. Of course, that didn’t mean she was some absolute mindless soldier that did as ordered, but she did everything within reason. As she approached the superior, she bowed, before standing straight and at attention.

She already had a pretty good idea of why they were here as she was able to deduce from the empty location he chose, that they were going to have a battle here. That was fine with her most definitely. However, what then? She saw how tired he looked, and she herself wasn’t looking pristine for she looked a little bit more worried and concerned as of late. Sure, it was laid back being an unseated officer, but she was drained with a different kind of worry. Her training had left her tired, and she feared the thought of having to encounter her Zanpakuto directly. Despite the mental blocks she had placed on him, he was insistent on reappearing, trying to talk to her, trying to convince her. It just didn’t seem right. It just...wasn’t her. So, balancing her weight on her left heel, she then gave a simple question. “Orders sir?”

Stats:
Strength:100
Speed:300
Spiritual Pressure:300(1.25)=375
Reiatsu Strength:190(1.25)=237
Light Aura:75
Dark Aura:25
Instinct:155(.75)=116
Senses:155(.75)=116
Energy Sensory:0
Wound Expertise:0
Total:1200/1200

Skills:
Analyzing:1
Learning:1
Weapons*:2[Swords]
Martial Arts*:2[Hakuda]
Battle Analysis:2
Mental Incantation:2
Pain Tolerance:2
12/15 SKP

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen nodded. "It's good to see you again, Angel." He said, as he saw her arrived. She seemed slightly out of breath, so Kaen allowed her a moment or two to gather herself. Contrary to perhaps how other Captains or Vice Captains ran their divisions, Kaen had always taken the time to understand and know as many of his officers as he could. Granted, there was only so much time in a day, to allocate between rest, training, paperwork and the like, but Vice Captain was an administrative and supervisory position so Kaen took some time to try and know as many of his subordinates as he could. He may not have been able to tell you what every officer's favorite color was, or what their hobbies were, but he could at least tell you their name and something about them. That hadn't changed. Not entirely. In recent months the Vice Captain had grown more reserved and withdrawn, but he still made an effort to maintain morale, and know his officers, if only so he could know their strengths, and their abilities, so he could dispatch them to where they would be most effective.

"...Most likely to not get killed, is more like it, isn't it boy." The normal jovial, amused and even pranksterish voice of Kaen's Zanpakuto was surprisingly somber. How could it not be? The two were intrinsically linked, two halves of a whole. Hachiryuu well understood what Kaen was going through, and it brought sorrow to the old man's heart. For his part... Kaen didn't deny the suggestion his Zanpakuto posed. "....Something like that." He conceded.

"At ease, Angel." He told her. "And you don't need to refer to me as sir. We're not technically here officially. This isn't standard duty persay. No need for official titles or anything like that." He added. "I wanted to get a feel of your abilities today. I've seen through reports that you're advancing at an extremely quick rate. You're leaving behind pretty much everyone in your graduating class, that came to this division." He noted. "Because of your rapid development, there's been some discussion of promoting you. However, with greater duties, will lead to increased risk and more dangerous assignments." He noted. "If you're promoted, you'll be the senior officer in most groups you'll be deployed with. It will be your responsibility to keep your subordinates safe from harm, and to watch out for them. If things go bad, it will be on you to hold up the lion's share of the work, in a worst case scenario." He informed her. "...I don't want to lose more people from this division. I'm aware that it is occasionally inevitable, but I want to make absolutely certain that your abilities are up to par with what I expect from a ranking officer of this division." He warned her. "So. It's been some time since our last sparring match." He noted-- their last match indeed, being a three on one fight during Angel's initiation. "I won't be taking it nearly so easy on your this time." He added. "Consider this something of an aptitude assessment test. Not the only thing I'll be taking into account, moving forward, but certainly a major quality."

Kaen finished his meal and set the tray aside, walking up and off the building veranda. "I'd like you to hold nothing back. I procured a report from the fourth division-- one of their officers reported that you had unleashed your Shikai during the mission. If you can control it, I'd like to see you use it here." He paused. "In fact, even if you can't, I want you to use it against me." Kaen noted, seeming to change his mind. "If you're still learning and developing with it, that's fine. Please let me know how hard you want me to fight. Go ahead and give me a number between one and ten, ten being 100% of my power, one, being about 10%."

SPOILER: Click to show

{"Stats and Abilities"}
• [Martial Art- Karate] {4}
• [Pain Tolerance] {3}
• [Martial Art-Jiujitsu] {3}
• [Analyzing] {2}
• Hakuda {3}
• Zanjutsu {1}
• Iaido {1}
Total: 18

[[Strength - 300 Points (600)
Speed - 375 Points (750)
Spiritual Pressure - 200 Points (150)
Reiatsu Strength - 400 Points
Light Aura - 45 Points
Dark Aura - 55 Points
Instinct- 175 Points
Senses- 100 Points
Energy sensory - 50 Points
Healing Expertise - 0 Points
Total: 1600 SP]

[Angel]

When he said that they technically weren’t supposed to be here today, she sort of had the impression based on the fact that nobody was here to watch. She nodded as he said it was good to see her in acknowledgement, and she simply listened to what her superior had to say for the moment. However, throughout what he had to say, she stopped when he mentioned preventing the death of people. She tensed for a moment on that, and she thought back to when she had sacrificed herself for the sake of five other Shinigami. She thought back to that moment, and to now. She back then was willing to surrender herself, and if she had to ask herself now, she would do the same thing. However, she raised her hand at the end of this meeting before lightly smiling. Not one of happiness, but one that was more solemn.

“Gomena Youji-Sama. However, I must inform you now...that even if my skills are on par with what you think they are. I can’t promise you I’ll be able to save everyone. Only a god can do such a thing, and I am no god.” However, at that mention she slowly looked to him before considering her situation. “Also...I’m not sure about what that medic told you, but…” She made eye contact with him, trying to look directly into his eyes as she lied to him. “I don’t have the power you’re wanting.” She lied, and with it, there was a sudden chuckle as her inner spirit called out to her. “Oh really Angel? After all we’ve been through together?” Looking to Kaen, she was dishonest. However, it wasn’t a complete lie. When she released, the person she was...was not her.

“Even if I meet the skill range, I might not meet the morals that you’re looking for. Because just like any of the unseated officers, even I have fears.” She then sighed and rolled her shoulders, preparing to fight. He said to give him a number, and she just chuckled at the trivialness of it all. “Let’s start at one...and every time I force you to change the next number, you tell me. Though...tell me something now. What number do I have to reach in order for you to acknowledge me as potential for a seat?” It was a simple question, and the reason why she asked was because she had the suspicion that her power didn’t have as much to do with it as her mindset and morals were. She was a strong believer in the teamwork of the Soul Society, but she knew she just couldn’t surrender herself. Or if she could, that her sacrifice would mean little.

So with that, she asked him to start from a one, and with it, she looked to him then. “Well Youji-Sama? How do you want to start this battle? I’d assume you’d be most comfortable in a battle of fists.” With that declaration, Angel couldn’t say she felt the same. In fact, far from it. She remembered how herculean he seemed when he attacked that training dummy that snowy night in december. She wasn’t going to dare risk entering close combat with him like that. Even if he was going to hold back, she knew in an instant, he could punch her and kill her. With that, she didn’t waste time anymore. She leaped far backwards, five meters at that as her feet pressed on an overhanging roof before somersaulting backwards. In that motion, she chanted.

“Carriage of Thunder. Ye who bears the mask of man! Truth and temperance upon this sinless wall of dream! With light, divide this into six!” She was performing a double incantation, and immediately, she looked to push him to a stronger state. Exiting her somersault, she would aim towards him as a blue ball of fire formed in her hands. Then also, golden rods would form from six directions around him, aiming to pin him down, hold him for her attack. “Hado#33:Sokatsui!” If her attack was successful, suddenly a large blast of blueish flames were coming to envelop him in a blaze, and assuming her Rikujokoro was successful, he would be unable at his current strength to avoid the power. A killing blow was what she launched. She’d never be able to hurt him otherwise.

She was going to fight using her strengths, and make him fight the way she wanted. If he was going to come at her physically, she'd just have to dodge everything he had to throw at her and then return the assault. Her Kido was her pride, and she made sure to note she would refuse to use something as pretentious as her Shikai. Her power was not fitting for a Shinigami. It radiated evil intention, and with it, she would only end up killing. That was the main priority of her Shikai, and she looked down on it with disgust. She wanted to destroy the thing that made it that way. She wanted to be able to claim with pride a Shikai power belonged to her. Yet...as she looked to it, it haunted her. "What...a killjoy." 

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu Remaining:
3550/3750

-50 Sokatsui
-150 Rikujokoro

Double Incantation RS Strengths:
Sokatsui:284 RS
Rikujokoro:296 RS

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen looked over Angel as she explained herself. He was very much aware that not everyone could be saved. During the battle for Seireitei, despite his own success, he hadn't been able to save many of the Shinigami that had fought near him. He'd singlehandedly killed two hundred of the mod soul invaders, but had still not been able to protect those near him. "....I don't.... I can't expect perfection. Situations change, and sometimes it's impossible. I simply want to minimize those impossible occurrences." He responded, reluctantly. Angel continued, remarking that the report Kaen had received had been exaggerated. "...The medics report simply recorded that you had unleashed a potent slicing technique, that was most likely a result of releasing your Shikai." He answered. "If there's any truth to this, fine. I don't mind if you couldn't actually control that power or anything of the sort. In fact, I'd much rather know about any issues you have regarding that sooner, rather than later. In the event that things go smoothly, I do not want your subordinates to first find out something is wrong, at a critical juncture." He reminded Angel firmly.

Angel did continue to communicate her concerns and Kaen gave a grave nod. "Your concerns are noted. I'm not necessarily saying anything is guaranteed to happen. Simply that we've taken an interest in your progression. This is a preliminary test, nothing more. Fear is fine. Morals... Well. We can discuss that later. This is merely an assessment of your strength. Your ability to defeat an enemy that might threaten you, Soul Society, or those under your protection." Kaen informed her. So she wanted him to fight at only 10% at the start? "That number is inconsequential, really. It's not about how much you can push me. It's simply about what I can read from you. I mean, I guess if you could actually defeat me at 100% full strength, or force my hand like Vice Captain Yetsuna did, it'd be a different story, but that's not the issue. I want to see everything you can throw at me, so I'm letting you be the judge of how you can perform best. Whether you think pouring pressure on you until you crack is how you work best, how you perform fighting someone slightly weaker than you, slightly stronger than you, completely even..." He began. And, I suppose, where your assessment of my power and how you relate to my ability stands. He thought briefly. "Since this is an assessment, I simply want to see what your abilities are."

When Angel asked how he wanted to fight he shook his head. "You leave how I fight to me. You fight how you're most comfortable. Even if your weapon is drawn, and I'm coming at you with one hand tied behind your back, you can fight as you wish. Whether I'm fighting at 10% power, or 100% power, you should generally assume I'm going to be fighting to defeat you." He noted. A one though, huh? I doubt it'll take her long to overcome that... Truthfully, Angel might have been a formidable opponent to Kaen fighting at only 10% strength even when they'd first met. A more even match, to be sure, but it would have been hard fought. At ten percent power now? Kaen would be very hard pressed to outmatch her.

And Angel had then already begun her attack, creating distance, and leaping to the roof top. Kaen heard her commencing a double incantation. That's an advanced technique she's picked up... While Kaen lacked any aptitude at kido he was familiar with most incantations, although a double incantation was throwing him off. He couldn't read the kido spell being fired at him. In any case, at this level of ability, he had to react pre-emptively. He wasn't likely going to be able to avoid a Binding Kido unless he was moving before it was fired. He could also judge at a glance, that Angel was moving faster than him. But there was one weakness to binding kido. Well. Not so much a weakness as a workaround. Binding Kido, with a handful of exceptions, typically needed line of sight. Kaen darted forwards, moving at a pace that would be pretty fast for an average human, but by Angel's standards would seem tremendously slow, and dodging inside of the building she had just landed on, moving while Angel was still in mid-incantation. Without a line of sight, she wouldn't be able to get an effective target for her Rikujokoro. True, she might be able to use her ears to pinpoint his position, but that would just be another aspect of her improvement that Kaen could pick up on. Pinpoint precision to aim inside the building would be difficult without truly superhuman senses. Approximate location might even be somewhat difficult.

Of course that would not help with the Hado spell, and while Kaen noted the six light pillars crashing together and missing him, as Angel completed her kido, it coincided with an explosive kido blast demolishing the top of the roof. Well. That was also why Kaen had picked this field for battle. These buildings were decrepit and in poor repair anyways, so they could do some damage without too much fear of repercussion.

Kaen hadn't stopped moving as he'd run into the building, and as Angel's Sokatsui crashed through the roof, Kaen lowered his shoulder, crashing through the flimsy, rotting walls of the house. Even so, he'd only barely avoided the Sokatsui and was forced to tumble across the ground, putting out the blue flames that had caught his pant leg as he'd gone. This even, and easy pace was actually difficult to maintain while fighting at this level, and being bombarded by attacks of Angel's caliber. While Kaen could technically employ the Sealing Fist against Angel, at his current level, the power difference was far too great. How much longer can I hold out at this level, I wonder? Fighting at his current level, it had taken everything Kaen had, every ounce of experience and predictive skill to avoid even one of Angel's attacks. With a dim, amused thought, Kaen realized that if her physical abilities had increased as much as her spiritual ones, he might actually be at a disadvantage in a close quarters fight with Angel at the moment.

Kaen's Current Combat stats:
Strength: 60
Speed: 75
Reiatsu Strength: 40
Spirit Pressure: 15

[Angel]

As Kaen decided to head inside to avoid her? She was perfectly fine with that. However, there was one thing that made her perk up. He said that if she had problems, he’d rather hear about them now rather than later. Even as her Sokatsui burst through the roof of the building he hid in, and as he narrowly avoided her Rikujokoro, she didn’t feel bad about herself. She was instead impressed that he was able to use his past experience to do this much, even at his level. No, it was something utterly amazing, as she herself lacked the experience. ‘He wants to help me grow...and he out of anyone should be able to stop me.’ She was convinced, and it was for that reason that she would even consider. Yes...she would consider it.

With him brushing out the Sokatsui, she drew both of her swords, wielding one in each hand, and with it, she decided that she ought to go on the offensive if he wanted to see everything she had to offer. Leaping, she pressed her legs on the corner of the rooftop she rested on before pushing off at admirable speed, and breaking a chunk of the roof as she slashed downward at Kaen in a criss cross motion, entering a kneeling position with her delivery. He needed to stop fucking around and take her advice. Playing this little game wasn’t going to help him, and it wasn’t going to help her grow either. She, if going to be an officer needed to fight someone of officer status or greater, not some fodder. So, it became clear that it wasn’t going to be equal for him.It wasn’t a challenge for her.

He ought to up his number up just a bit. Otherwise, she might end up hurting him badly and she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. In the event that the Vice Captain were to avoid her attack, which she very much expected, she quickly turned his general direction, but without looking held her middle and index finger out. “Sho.” She knew that at this state, he wouldn’t be able to put up a liable defensive, and she’d rip through him like as if he were paper. It became clear that she was strong enough to overwhelm him even without a Shikai at this state. So, she wanted him to get actually a bit rougher. Angel wasn’t going to go soft, and she made it clear.

However, she wouldn’t underestimate him. He was powerful and he had plenty of knowledge under his belt. If she underestimated him now, it might be her that would end up defeated. Whether she could face him at 100% or 50%, she needed to know her worth now. She had figured though that she could at least push him to fifty...and if she could, that would be quite the accomplishment. It was going to be something great to experience, to have a rough outline of if she was doing well or not. He already said she was excelling far beyond her peers but, she needed to destroy all doubt. “If you want to destroy all doubt Angel. Call me.” It was tantalizing, and she considered it, just to get him to take her seriously. However, she withheld herself. ‘Urusai…’

SPOILER: Click to show

3525/2750
-25 Sho

[Kaen Youji]

She'd drawn her blades. Close range combat. I'll survive longer at close range at least. Kaen acknowledged. He could read bladework and martial attacks pretty well. But perhaps Angel would surprise him. She opened with a lunging strike. Fortunately, at this range, Kaen could read her trajectory, and moved aside. True, he was still moving slower than Angel, but at that range, the evasion was possible. Her blades hewed the air to Kaen's right, as he slipped to Angel's side, immediately countering with a palm strike to Angel's ribs. Now was time for something new. It'd require very precise control of his strength, but he was fairly certain he could do it. As Kaen struck Angel's side, he initiated a new technique of his own. The Shattering Palm. A technique he'd specifically developed for fighting stronger opponents. If Angel was struck by the palm strike, assuming she did not evade or counter it, a bizarre and unpleasant sensation would course through her body. A shockwave piercing straight through her ribs and gut. Fortunately, Kaen had not been aiming at any of Angel's vital organs. It would however, hurt. A lot. While Angel was still presently stronger than Kaen, it wasn't by so much that she would be able to easily shrug off the full force of Kaen's blow being transmitted straight through her body.

There was just one complication.

Angel was turning the moment she registered her attack missed, and fired a Sho spell at Kaen. Kaen had used pinpoint timing and precision to launch his attack while Angel was still in mid-strike, so he would still have time to make contact with Angel. However, that was the limit. Contact. The power of his attack would be halved, from a blow that may actually caused Angel to double over, to one that would merely cause pain, but still pain within reason. With his free arm, Kaen attempted to block her Sho, drawing the forearm into the path of the blow. Naturally, this was nowhere near sufficient and had been the result of his bare minimum contact counterattack, as the Sho slammed Kaen backwards. But, this was also a perfect moment for experimentation. Kaen was driven back by the Sho, rapidly at first, but he soon slowed down, skidding across the ground. With a tremendous grunt of exertion, Kaen struck his own forearm with his free hand, deflecting the invisible force that had been hurling him backwards and stopping his momentum.

"I see then..." Kaen mused. "So.... At the level you're fighting.... I'd say about a "4" is right." He commented, shifting into a fighting stance. "That was a strong kido spell. And you were prepared for my counterattack. Excellent." He wasn't wasting time monitoring the effects of Shattering Palm. That had been too light a blow to get anything useful, even assuming the blow had landed at all. Kaen watched Angel closely, before darting back in. A "4", huh? Using the numbers he'd given her before, that would indicate he was fighting at about 40%. And yet, at "only" 40%, he was moving about as fast as she was! Only his movements were significantly more relaxed and easy. It was clear that this speed was.... well. Easy for Kaen to move and fight at. The Vice Captain closed in on Angel quickly, tracking her movements. He stepped in against Angel, suddenly moving off-line to avoid being an easy target for her swords, before attempting to close the distance and strike Angel's sword arm with a backfist. Kaen aimed directly for the nerves in the arm, hoping to briefly numb Angel's arm and cause her to drop her weapon.

Of course this was all just a preliminary attack. Kaen didn't entirely expect it to work, but against weapon users he had learned that they often had to make a move as well, for him to exploit the openings in their attacks, if he intended to close in.

Kaen's Current Combat Stats:
Strength: 240
Speed: 300
Reiatsu Strength: 160
Spirit Pressure: 60

[Angel]

When witnessing her attack fail, she most certainly did expect a counterattack, for him to evade and simply attack. It was because of this recognition that she was able to see Kaen’s attempt at attacking her. She was one step ahead, and in preparation for his attack, more particularly a punch aimed for her ribs, she need only lean backwards slightly as her Sho fired, to prevent giving him the satisfaction of landing a blow, though his fist may have narrowly grazed her robes. Assuming her dodge attempt was successful, she watched him get pushed, before then stopping via skid. It would be amateur and rather bad for her to get hit on the very second assault attempt she was landing. She had to be careful with this one. Oh yes. Youji Kaen was incredibly dangerous, and she didn't feel like dying just yet or taking any blows. She had to visualize his actions, and within the next moment, he said she was about a four. 40% is what she pushed him to on her second move. There was now a fair distance between them, and Angel narrowed her eyes.

‘I need to keep careful. Just need to be wary. As his speed increases, I'll increase the distance and my pace to compensate.’ She took some deep breaths as casting two Kido wasn't easy in direct succession. Despite having the inherent initial advantage, that was quickly ending. As she kept her eyes on him, he suddenly dashed with ease towards her. It was a mere moment before the distance between them was closed. Damn it! Though, she quickly formed her plan as he aimed that backfist for one of her sword arms. She immediately stepped backwards, pushing her shoulder backwards to avoid getting struck, and her sword was then...released? Suddenly, her right arm thrusted straight for his stomach as a cylinder formed, a mediocrely thick one. It was aimed right for his stomach like a thrusting weapon, and seeing he had just delivered his punch, might be difficult to avoid. Assuming she hit him, she released the rod as he'd feel a force physically propel him the other way as a fourteen other rods then formed in the air, generally in his direction and fired.

“Bakudo no Roku Juu Nii:Hyapporankan!” These rods would slam into the wall he rested on, but also his as arms, torso, and legs most likely, and assuming she was successful, she suddenly stabbed her blade into the ground and leaped back a bit as she suddenly held her hands in an inverse open maw formation, suddenly firing a large blast of flames that was incredibly powerful as a massive blast. Yet, it would suddenly get bigger as she rapidly called. She began to chant, a terrifying incantation for the most powerful Kido she could utilize. “Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens! Hado no Nana Juu San! Soren Sokatsui!” Kaen would have a very slim chance to avoid this Kido, at least it he was sticking to 40% and that's if her Hyapporankan hit to begin with. Either way, she just used a level 70s Kido and used the incantation method Kokujutsu Eisho, the after spoken incantation.

Even if Kaen had managed to avoid her powerful Kido, through some method, the blast would proceed to easily break through the home he was pinned on, then continuing the path, blew through at least two other buildings entirely. Angel would stand there, panting heavily as she'd pick up both blades of hers, understandably feeling a feeling of fatigue after casting her Kido like that. Yet, it showed him her full extent spiritually, minus her release of course. She'd clench both blades as she awaited the outcome. It wasn't going to be a cakewalk. At full strength, she wouldn't be surprised if Kaen could thank that Kido and still be alright. Taking deep breaths, she could feel the bead of sweat on her forehead at the mental exertion. Yet, she waited then. If this Kido failed, she'd likely abandon her Kido unless a presentation asserted itself. If it failed? She would release. Her Shikai was far from perfect, but it would have to do this time around. Yet, it all rested on what happened to Kaen. He was strong...too strong for something like her Kido to kill him.

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu Remaining
2975/3750
-150 Hyapporankan
-400 Soren Sokatsui

RS Strength:
Soren Sokatsui: 303 RS

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen didn't miss the breath Angel took as he rushed in. That brought an interesting factor into the fight. Fatigue. True, they were only a few blows in right now. No big deal at present. But as the battle went on, Angel would be continuously fighting at one hundred percent of her strength. She'd definitely start wearing out faster than Kaen did as the battle raged on. She seemed slightly alarmed at the speed Kaen had closed in at, though their speed, judging by what he'd seen of her earlier, should have been about equal. Perhaps she'd simply expected less from Kaen's "4/10" fighting power? She still reacted well, dodging back from the back fist to avoid, and then Kaen saw her sword drop, and her hand raise. He knew what was coming. And how could he not, after that display from before? Angel was a remarkable kido practitioner. And one thing that Kaen had learned about Kido users was this-- many of them picked up quickly that kido could be just as deadly, if not moreso, at short range, rather than long.

Unfortunately for Angel, Kaen had spent the better part of the last decade prior studying kido, and learning how to fight kido users. For the longest time, he had struggled with their long range combat tactics. He'd grown accustomed to fighting them, and so if Angel wanted to take him down with kido, she'd need to be more unorthodox than this! Kaen drew his free arm back across his body, bracing it as if to try to stop Angel's kido barehanded! Seriously?! ....Actually? Yeah. That's exactly what Kaen was about to do. The kido rod fired by Angel hurtled out, connecting with Kaen's arm. Kaen's arm seemed to vibrate for a moment at the moment of impact and then suddenly repelled outwards. Angel might find herself to find her Hyapporankan kido literally scatter about, the pillars flying in every which direction (including back at her!) EXCEPT at Kaen. The Squad 7 Vice-Captain... he really had repelled her kido with his bare hands!?

Well. Sort of. Kaen had actually employed a very high level Hakuda technique to defeat Angel's kido. Gokken. A defensive technique designed to violently repel an opponent's attack and even worked against reiatsu attacks! By vibrating ones body at incredibly high speeds, it stole the kinetic energy from an attack allowing the user to repel it. It was a taxing move that couldn't be used carelessly, but in this case it would likely make a statement, that Angel would need to step up her kido work. Granted, Kaen could have countered it in a few LESS taxing ways, but hey. He wanted to drive home the caliber of opponent Angel was fighting. He still liked to make an impressive display for his squad. Even if he had to cheat and briefly increase his speed to 600 to vibrate fast enough to use the technique.... Well. It was a quick one-time deal, only for the purposes of that one technique. Like using a step technique! Yeah. That's it.... Well, Kaen was going to be pretty honest from this point out anyways. He'd made his spectacle and now he could engage Angel with more practical techniques. For example, that Hado she was setting up...

While Angel likely would have to weave and dodge to avoid her own Hyapporankan attack, or at least a few rods of it, Kaen wouldn't stop her using her Hado spell. In fact, he seemed to be opening himself right up for it, steadily, but quickly advancing straight at her. He wasn't taking any evasive maneuvers. Was he about to try and stop it the same way twice!? Sure he'd stopped a level 60 Bakudo spell, but there was a huge gap between that and a level seventy hado, right? Maybe he just didn't realize what the incantation was for? As she unleashed it, Kaen closed in, reaching out his hands and intercepting the kido, as it blasted out at him. Angel then began an incantation after the fact! But... perhaps she might reconsider that considering what she'd see next. The kido, was... disappearing. Not being deflected like before, but actually disappearing. It was like... it was like Kaen was absorbing it!? The attack seemingly disappeared, sucked into Kaen's hands. The Vice Captain didn't seem unscathed-- his arms were slightly burned by this display. But considering what Soren Sokatsui was capable of... It should have been much, much worse... Right?

Right. Kaen winced in pain, as the heart strain of Gokken combined with his current technique caused him quite a bit of pain. He dealt with it. Angel would have about a half-second after her kido disappeared to figure out what had happened before suddenly her kido reappeared, erupting out of Kaen's hands. Only one problem. This time, it was going back at her. Kaen had absorbed and then reflected her kido spell right back at her! At near point blank range! This... this was the technique Redirection. One used by few, it allowed Kaen to catch and attack, absorb it, and cycle it through his body and then release t back at the caster. Had Kaen chosen to, he could even have layered his own reiatsu over it to amplify its power further, but that was not necessary. Kaen was using the Class 3 variant of the technique, which could redirect any attack below Class 1, and throw it back with equal power as what it had been originally launched at. What was Angel going to do now?

Reiatsu Remaining: 1225 (-75 for using Gokken on Hyapporankan, -200 for Redirecting Soren Sokatsui)

[Angel]

When Angel was attacking forward with her Hyapporankan, it was true that she was feeling a bit spiritually drained. She needed time to rest, and it was in that moment when she thrusted that her eyes widened a margin as suddenly, she felt a repulse as her first initial pillar slammed her right in the stomach. It was the first time she herself had actually experienced her own Hyapporankan being used against her, and she gagged, a bit of spit releasing from her mouth as she slammed into the wall of a home, before then relaxing as her left hand wielded her Zanpakutou. Her bone sword unfortunately was abandoned in this endeavor, leaving her now with one blade.

As those other pillars flew about randomly every which way from that sudden repulsion, sure, she could get hit by a few more, and it was also then that she considered that Kaen had told her that if she had problems with her powers, he’d rather know about it now than later. Still though, she feared what would become of her if she became too enticed by the power she possessed, and where it would take her as a direct path. “Show him the true you little angel. You know that you can’t hide me forever, and you simply can’t go around not using me.” Even as she was bound, she spoke in a quiet voice, trying to prevent Kaen from hearing such a terrible name. “Cursed Tool Throughout The Ages. Pierce...Daten-Shi.”

There was a sickly whistle as for the briefest of moments an eye appeared along her blade, staring at the man before bandages wrapped tightly around it, the rising spiritual pressure now making it clearly known that she had released her Shikai. She tilted her head, and simply allowed those bandages to fall. There was no denying it any longer. This was who she was. So, as she tilted her sword and pressed it against the wall, there was a sudden oddness as Angel would begin to phase through it, leaving those Hyapporankan rods pinned to the wall, herself vanishing through it. However, she’d then soon walk out through the front door, her blade held in hand as she looked upon him. “Pardon for lying to you Fukutaicho. But...I don’t want to keep you waiting any longer than you already have.”

Angel looked out to the fellow as she clenched her blade in her hand, looking at it with a frown before then staring at that dreadful eye. “I’ll fight you honestly from this point onward. So then...I’ll introduce you to this horrible sword. Daten-Shi.” The eye would seemingly react at that name being called, looking straight at Kaen before she rested. She would have attacked him right away, but she didn’t think it would be proper, it would be right. Besides, the longer they talked, the more time she’d have to recover from the exhaustion of casting the number of Kido she had in a short amount of time. So, she breathed, trying to make them seem not so labored, and she’d leave him guessing what her blade did in detail. She also analyzed him intensely in this period, now remembering his sealing fist from their last encounter. It would be most unwise from this point to launch Kido that could be repelled. No, for now, she'd have to be strenuously working to keep him at bay without Kido unless she was certain that it would succeed. 

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu Remaining:
3025/3750
-350 Shikai
-100 Overall Power

Shikai Duration: 1/9

[Kaen Youji]

Angel was clearly shocked at her kido rebounding back at her. Probably the first time she'd seen a kido spell actually reflected. So her slowed reaction was perfectly understandable. Something to work on, but understandable. Fortunately, she'd stopped there. Which was good for both of them. It spared Kaen having to overexert himself with a Redirection cast immediately following, and suffer injuries. Kaen didn't let up though. It wasn't a "mistake" persay. It was a miscalculation. Angel might have expected Kaen to wait it out, but he did not. Kaen was not the kind of fighter that made a single attack and stopped. He would open with single attacks or counters to test the opponent's defenses-- sure. But the moment a hole was open, a weakness was found, he capitalized on it. He'd promised Angel he would fight seriously. Didn't matter if he was only fighting seriously at a fraction of his strength or not, he was fighting seriously. Angel would come to understand that this was not a game to Kaen.

As Angel was blasted back by her own kido, Kaen gave immediate pursuit, stalling only long enough to confirm she had been hit by it. The next instant he was on top of her. Angel's second blade had hit the ground. It was just her normal sword that he had to watch out for. Well. That, plus her kido. He hadn't forgotten that. Kaen's arm flicked out with an inside chest block as far down her sword blade as he could manage, aiming to slam the weapon on the flat of the blade and shunt it aside, making sure Angel couldn't use it to defend herself or counter Kaen's attacks. This was only 40% of Kaen's full strength? Even at only 40%, this blow demonstrated that Kaen was fighting with more than double Angel's physical strength. If Kaen had wanted to swat her sword clear out of her hands, he probably could have. But that would have taken a mite more energy. A mite more movement. And what any martial artist watching might observe was that there was none of that in Kaen's form. Perfect efficiency. No movement more than a millimeter further than it needed to be. And Kaen capitalized on that. The moment he deflected her sword, he struck again with a spear hand strike to Angel's shoulder, attacking a nerve cluster there, that would send spasms throughout the limb, temporarily immobilizing it. This wouldn't stop her releasing her sword, but it would keep her from freely being able to swing it with any real control for at least a few seconds.

Angel might have noticed something about Kaen's sudden combination. His first blow had been to deflect her sword. His second to her shoulder. A subtle shift, but perhaps one she might be able to notice. Kaen was closing in with each attack. Each attack serving to create an opening for him to step closer. And immediately following the debilitating nerve strike to her arm, Kaen was past the reach of Angel's weapon. Even if she could swing reliably with her arm, Kaen was too close to make an effective attack now. Angel would have to move backwards if she wanted to try and cut at Kaen, and her own Bakudo had just pinned her to the wall, leaving her unable to retreat. Kaen hadn't neglected the possibility of cutback either. Angel was clearly a spiritual fighter, and so Kaen had to be wary of her ability to reflect damage. Even so. Even with cutback, Kaen's physical strength would still have caused injury to her nerve cluster. But Cutback did make it difficult for him to finish Angel off with strikes. That didn't preclude other means of attack however. Under normal circumstances, Kaen would have buried Angel in physical attacks at this point until the very wall she was pinned against gave way. The threat of cutback, however, was a shield against that. So Kaen changed gears. Very unpleasantly for Angel.

The Seventh squad Vice Captain aggressively stepped in. His non-striking hand reached across Angel's body to snare the sleeve of the hand that was not gripping her sword, controlling it so that Angel could not use Kido. Kaen was close to her now. So close that Angel's elbow was running across and touching Kaen's torso-- in short. Too close for her to slash at him with her sword. The hand that had just struck her shoulder, now traversed only a few inches to the left and grabbed hold of Angel's lapel, before drawing it sharply across her neck. Using the wall to pin Angel against and prevent her moving backwards, and trapping her opposite sleeve to prevent her using kido against him to force him away, Angel would very quickly begin to feel light headed. Kaen was, afterall, a master of Japanese Jiujitsu-- the very martial art from which both Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu were derived. Both martial arts were very powerful and effective of course, but they had abandoned many of the techniques of their progenitor martial art. While Japanese Jiujitsu maintained all of them. And with almost two centuries to practice, Kaen knew every move inside and out. Including the collar choke that was now strangling Angel, and would have her unconscious in under five seconds if she didn't do something immediately. Cutback would not protect her from a choke.

That.... That was when Angel released her Zanpakuto. Kaen's eyes sharpened and the Shinigami suddenly abandoned his choke and sprang back away from Angel (a decision he would later come to regret, this poster is certain), uncertain as to the abilities of her new weapon. Shikai? Kaen asked, slowly drawing Hachiryuu from his back. Angel admitted to lying, and Kaen glared at this. "You shouldn't have denied it. But that's fine. I don't care how violent it is. I don't care how lethal or dangerous it is. I'm your Vice Captain. I've fought through some terrible things. You can trust in my ability to survive the worst you can throw at me." He told her. "I authorize you to fight like this is a life or death battle. I want you to assume that the attacks I throw are intended to kill you, and to respond in kind." He warned her, and drew his Zanpakuto. "Burn Hachiryu." He declared, his own Zanpakuto transforming in his hands. What was originally a short sword had now become a silver vambrace around Kaen's left forearm. A black flame pattern danced along it, and a shining blue gemstone sat at the back. Kaen was unarmed now... but as Angel had just seen that didn't make him less dangerous in the least. "Well then. Let's resume the dance."

Angel seemed to be trying to recover now from fatigue. Even if Kaen's nerve strike had been successful she'd probably have feeling back in her arm, and be able to move it again, albeit with soreness, although if his choke was successful she'd be sporting a lovely bruise along her neckline from her own uniform. But she didn't seem ready to attack. So Kaen took this moment to make his move. He raised his hand, palm facing toward Angel, and a fireball, about the size of a basketball formed in front of it. "Dodge." The fireball blasted from his hands at Angel at high speeds. Angel's release probably shattered the kido binding her, but she'd have to move immediately. Because the moment that fireball struck the wall of the building it would immediately explode, in a moderate sized explosion, similar to an arrancar's Bala, sending dangerous, flaming shrapnel hurtling about in all direction from the wreckage of the building. Would Angel block? Or would she dodge? Either way, the moment Angel showed any sign of reaction, Kaen would drive in towards her, with a full on charge at 300 speed, a new flame beginning to take shape as he did so, the flame's form flickering and changing as he rushed in. What was his next move? Did Angel even know what his Zanpakuto could do? Well. One way or another, she was about to find out.

Reiatsu Remaining: 1350/1500 (-150 for Shikai)
Shikai: 1/10

[Angel]

As Youji Kaen the Vice Captain rushed in for his attack, she indeed would have tried to swing at him, only for him to shunt aside the blade with a clack as her arm was pushed back against the wall. She ended up gritting her teeth and yelling in pain as he struck the soft portion of her shoulder on her sword arm. However, with that, despite the pain, she swallowed through it and took the opportunity to react. WIth a slight motion of her arm, instead of swinging, which would be difficult and inefficient at this range, she instead thrusted toward Kaen Youji’s ankle, to hopefully slice into it and maybe even pierce it at its base. However, that wouldn’t necessarily halt his assault against her despite the many nerves which rested at the ball and socket like joint in his leg. Assuming that he continued assaulting her, he decided to grasp her arm in a manner that she’d be unable to fire Kido directly at him.

However, on the other hand, she was pinned on the wall and she quickly saw him preparing to choke her with his superior strength. Her free arm which rested along the wall quickly glowed blue as she released the Sokatsui against the surface of it, causing the rods to shatter as the surface they were pinning her to was destroyed with a blueish blast, causing the wall to cave in on itself, causing age old dust and smoke to rise among the rubble and for Kaen to lose a solid flat surface to suffocate her against. As she’d land on the ground as a result, she immediately used the cover of smoke to fire directly in his general direction, and wordlessly. A Byakurai was let loose straight for his chest where she’d seen him last and the lightning bolt would fly, looking to pierce through something. On the other hand, her blade was clenched in her hand as it was likely wrenched free by now.

Coughing, she’d quickly try to stand, only to stumble and limp, barely onto her feet as her arm felt incredibly sore. However, she’d bite through it and keep going. If Kaen’s ankle was indeed pierced, it would be harder for him to move, and every single movement with that foot would bring him greater pain. Not to mention it would be bleeding from damage like that. She had a temporary advantage at best. Considering his overall rough methods, she didn’t have time to release yet. However, she would likely at least be free for a moment’s notice. However, overall, Kaen was strong, far stronger than what she could have imagined at only 40%. Yet, he was not unbeatable for her as that much could be acknowledged. Depending on if there was an intermission or such as the dust rose, she’d wait for an opportune time to release. There was indeed an advantage to utilizing Kido to strike at a foe, and she found that if it worked, it was dangerous.

Her robes were lightly singed and burnt from the result of her own explosion, but roughly she was not so harmed by it's effect. She took a deep breath as she half expected Youji the Demon Trainer of the 7th division to burst through the smoke and punch her face through the wall. However, she had tried her very best to stop him from harming her more than possible. Kaen was a powerful fighter, but she had to hand herself some credit as she knew that she wasn't fighting half bad. While she could always improve, there had to be a learning point. This fighting with the Vice Captain so far had yielded the idea that this fight was truly all about measuring her pure combat abilities. Perhaps by fighting together, they'd get to know more about each other and how they worked. That was her idea, but she wasn't sure.  

Reiatsu Remaining:
3400/3750
-50 Sokatsui
-25 Byakurai

[Kaen Youji]

Angel's defensive maneuver had been a good idea. She couldn't attack Kaen normally with her sword, so stabbing at his foot was not a bad idea. It allowed her to keep threatening Kaen, while defending herself. The mentality was excellent and Kaen would likely encourage it after the battle was done. But Angel had mistaken Kaen's biggest strength. The mentality of his fighting. It wasn't that he was extremely fast-- although he was. It wasn't that he possessed immense physical strength, although he did. There were Shinigami that were faster than Kaen, even among the Vice Captain class, like Aevus. There were Shinigami that were as strong, or stronger than Kaen among the Vice Captain class, like Kubi. Kaen had fought on par with the former Captain of the Seventh Division, Kimiko Shihoin, who possessed far greater strength with comparable speed to Kaen. What was the secret that allowed Kaen to contend with these people?

It was his versatility. His ability to adapt to his opponent's moves. The analyze and decipher their rhythms and rapidly adjust his own game plan on the fly. This was what Angel was about to experience firsthand. As she stabbed at Kaen's foot, Kaen adjusted. The Vice Captain's forearm, which had been poised to drive across her chest to choke Angel, instead drove into her arm, just below the elbow, pushing the limb across her chest, and forcibly breaking off her thrust attack. While it wasn't impossible for Angel to adjust the angle to compensate, it would be difficult, and her blow would likely only manage a scratch. And from this position, Kaen would still be able to attempt a different grapple. While Angel had successfully stopped the choke, Kaen had momentarily occupied both her arms, and was about to instead, hammer a knee strike into her liver. But... thankfully... that knee strike never came. Because Angel's improvised kido spell on the wall behind her was both ingenious and effective.

The wall exploded beyond her Sokatsui, and Kaen was forced to release Angel, stepping back as his subordinate tumbled through the hole she had made, shielding his face against the intense heat of the explosion. "Very resourceful. Full marks." Kaen admitted. The dust cloud obstructed his vision and so Kaen opted to take a moment to wait before charging in blindly, contrary to Angel's expectations. And.... probably best he did. A slight glow was Kaen's only warning before a Byakurai flashed out of the smoke. The Vice Captain barely had time to step aside as the bolt crackled past him, so closely he could feel the residual heat, and static charge. Kaen took a moment to check to see if anything else was coming through the smoke cloud, as it dissipated, giving Angel time to stand back up. "I see." He stated. Then reached to his back to his short sword Zanpakuto. He drew the weapon and slashed with it in a single motion, sending a blade of reiatsu flying out at Angel. Sakugen. A fairly basic technique, but one that would force a reaction out of Hikari. Kaen followed his attack through the hole in the wall. No doubt Angel would have to defend the attack in some manner. Perhaps she'd try to deflect it? Or maybe she'd create a kido shield? Maybe she'd just try to dodge. Didn't matter. As soon as Angel reacted to Kaen's Sakugen attack, Kaen would be right behind it, with a sudden offline step, coming at Angel now from an angle on her right, and slashing with his Kodachi at her shoulder.

As Kaen had demonstrated before, it was likely this technique was just a slash. He'd likely continue a combination attack depending on how Angel responded, so her response would be key. What would her defense be? How would she engage her Vice Captain in a manner that didn't allow him to keep maintaining an aggressive initiative?

Reiatsu Remaining: 1400/1500 (+150 for not using Shikai, -25 for Sakugen, and -75 for Gokken previously).

[Angel]

Hikari Nisei had reacted absolutely quickly, and it was that reason that she had escaped serious damage from the fellow, allowing herself to gain a slight bit of distance while also being able to retaliate with a return of fire that caused him to pause. Yet, as she stood, he made himself visible to her, a serious look on his face which she returned with utmost ferocity and view. Though, it was when he launched a sudden crescent of reiatsu did she react with instinct as her guide as opposed to experience in this case. It was true that Hikari had faced a great number of foes, but it was clear that this attack was very sudden, and also something that Hikari had never expected from a man who she viewed as a sheer physical expert.

She raised her sword arm to brace herself against the crescent. However, instead of blatantly pushing against it with her full force, she allowed the force of the crescent to carry her backwards some, to allow her to skid, and gain distance. With her left hand bracing against the weapon, her right hand was held directly behind the blade, her palm outstretched and supporting it’s back near the tip as it carried her, her back pressing against the wall. Even with her superior offensive stat, it did not dissipate so easily if only from her surprise. However, her eyes and battle analysis allowed her to anticipate that Kaen would press on the assault as she could slowly start to discern that this was the wisest course of action. Yet, it was deceptive to think that she was incapable of acting.

In the flashy display of his crescent, which was rather large with his reiatsu strength output, and her back pressed against the wall, it would seem she was in a bad position. In reality, it was. However, through her eye, she saw him rush her right side, and with it, her right pinkie extended as he approached from an angle. As his blade raised, he’d see a crackle of blue electricity launch from her fingertip aimed to hit him at the base of the wrist on his sword arm, an area difficult to block with the sword. Considering their close proximity with each other, it would be difficult to avoid within these close quarters. However, in the event he did dodge, she could not afford to be suppressed with her back to the wall. “Cursed Tool Throughout The Ages. Pierce. Daten-Shi.” Her sword would sickeningly glow, bandages beginning to wrap around it as her spiritual power amplified, allowing her to press and then cut through the crescent. “Hah!”

With that, she’d try to rush him with her Shikai before he could escape to analyze it properly. A vertical swing aimed straight down in the intent of cutting him in half was launched at him. In the event that this attack was blocked as opposed to avoided, he’d feel a slash run right down his face, cutting him straight across his head as if his sword never existed, that same slash running down his body all the same, leading to a decisive and painful blow that would likely debilitate any normal man. However, he was the one that had commanded her to go all out, and that was exactly what she was going to do. Yet, this did not mean her blade did not combat his. Far from it. How if only she could push his blade down more, her sword would be able to deal it’s next devastating techniques. Yet it could not. Hopefully, just hopefully, her power here was enough.

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu Remaining:
2925/3750
-25 Byakurai
-350 Shikai
-100 Overall

Shikai Duration:
1/9

[Kaen Youji]

Those eyes.... "Those are good eyes, Angel." Kaen complimented, acknowledging the ferocity and vigor behind them. "They'd be sure to strike fear in the heart of a lesser opponent. They look like you're going to kill me. Excellent." He complimented as he moved to continue the battle with his Sakugen attack and charge. His reiatsu cut was caught on Hikari's blade, and she'd feel, on the block that this move had significantly less force than Kaen's physical attacks. Kaen was a physical specialist, and though his reiatsu strength was significantly above average for a physical specialist, it was only striking with a power of 160. However, that was still enough to drive Angel back if she wanted it to. It bought her a moment to react to his follow-up charge and slashing blade attack. There was a subtle motion on Angel's part as she extended her pinkie finger toward him, and cast a wordless Byakurai. Mental casting!? I didn't know her skills had advanced that quickly! It was too late to move his arm out of the path, so Kaen instead moved his other arm into the path. His palm flew up under his slash, and the byakurai struck Kaen's palm. But.... it didn't burn him. The energy of the attack gathering in his hand, as his sword strike was forced to halt its path across Kaen's forearm. The reiatsu then disappeared, drawn into Kaen's body, and the Vice Captain visibly winced, a moment before a crackling bolt of the same blue lightning flew back out of the hand he had caught it with, right back at Angel's torso, with the same force it had been sent at him with, turning Angel's own strength against her. Redirection. A very versatile and effective anti-reiatsu skill.

But the battle wasn't done. No, no, far from it. While Kaen had been cycling Angel's reiatsu through his body, Angel had used the opening to release her Zanpakuto, and come at Kaen with a slash. Kaen attempted to step offline, while firing the Byakurai back at Angel, and swept his sword aside to try and deflect her cut. The blade clashed, and Kaen managed to partially deflect the attack. As Angel had surmised, they were too close to react appropriately especially while launching back her Byakurai like this. So she can use Shikai afterall? It's not surprising, but why she kept it quiet--[/color Kaen felt a wound open up down his shoulder. He had partially deflected Angel's cut while moving offline which is why his face wasn't slashed by it. But he hadn't cleared it entirely and a deep gash opened up in his shoulder, running down the side of his torso as well. The arm wasn't severed from his body, due to Kaen's movement, but it was still a deep wound. "Hmm?" Despite his surprised, Kaen sounded more annoyed at the cut than alarmed that he'd been wounded despite parrying the blow. "I see. That's a dangerous ability." He noted. "Then.... I'm going to have to dodge every cut, aren't I?" He commented.

As if it'd be that easy. That Zanpakuto makes it easy for her to simply attack into my own attacks. Even attacking carelessly opens me up to being cut. Calling her power dangerous is an understatement, it's deadly against close quarter fighters like me. And I don't know if it can attack indirectly as well. Kaen considered as he moved. To be fair, Kaen could always increase his speed and power, but that... that would be cheating. At present, Kaen was fighting Angel as an equal. At his current power and speed, this was as close to being on par as could be reasonably achieved. He'd have to beat her with his current merits. Well. I might have to get cut up a little then. Kaen accepted. And now that he'd accepted that he wasn't going to defeat Angel unscathed, he was ready to continue. Even so... he'd have to be mindful of his defense. The wound he'd suffered was serious but with his high pain tolerance he could keep fighting.

Kaen resumed his offensive, darting in at Angel, now tracking her blade closely as he did. He'd probably have to use the Flowing Water Stance to combat an ability like this, bracing his mind to be ready to use the technique at will. His blade was held at the ready to intercept Angel's swords. He'd have to use hard parries, knocking her blade off course, instead of trying to directly parry or block them. As Kaen tried to weave in, he threw a low kick at Angel's leg, trying to strafe around her, throwing a quick jab at her arm as well. Kaen was going for disabling attacks to try and prevent Angel from using her sword, and mobility, it was clear. Her weapon presented a major threat to him, and Kaen would have to do what he could to control that threat, for now. So far.... so far, as far as power was concerned, Angel was meeting all of Kaen's expectations to impress.

Reiatsu Remaining: 1400/1500