[11th/Q] Week--: Challenge Match: Reijew Kyuketsu vs. Rudo Braun

[Wayne]

On top of Mount Fuji, he stood in frigid silence. The summit still bore the scars of the mayhem that once terrorized its soil. The land appeared tainted somehow, as if forever cursed with the eldritch stigma of Hueco Mundo’s barren, unforgiving miasma. Last Kyuketsu saw of the landscape, the volcano’s caldera was mere moments from igniting, spewing molten rocks onto the city below. They were able to stop such a calamity from coming to pass, yet the aftermath was no less of a victory than it was a humiliating defeat. There they witnessed the self-evident truth of a being far superior to any of them, a creature so malignantly unstoppable to the point that logic and reason no longer held any value.

It was almost contemplative, really. While he harbored disdain and utter repulsion for the fiend, in a sense, his jealousy outweighed his anger. Envy of such power, wanting of such devastating, godly capability. What else was he to do—what else could he do—to suppress such unquenchable hunger and desire?

As he was lost in the moment, eyes nearly dead and empty, a spark managed to creep its way over to the peripheries of his senses. Not a death god, not a hollow... but a human. A Quincy.

212​

Stats

Reiatsu: 58,139
Tenzansatsu - 69,767
Fuhen Souryokusen - 81,395
Zanjutsu: 45,539
Hakuda: 100
Hohou: 6,000
Kidou: 6,500
-- Reitouten, Hadou #50 // 1000 Kidou
--- Saju Sabaku, Bakudou #63 // 1200 Kidou
--- Kokuryuha, Hadou #70 // 1750 Kidou
---- Kuyou Shibari, Bakudou #79 // 3000 Kidou
---- Kurohitsugi, Hadou #90 // 6500 Kidou
----- Ittou Kasou, Hadou #96 // 8750 Kidou [KZ]
Items:
Vitruvian Cross [NULL]
Orb of Ignition [NULL]
Sorei no Te [pm]
Feats:
[Unique] - Predation
[Unique] - Judgment Cut
[Trained] - Radiance
[Trained] - Kidou Zero
[Style] - Empty
[GM] - Bloodlust
[GM] - Suberu no Ken

9: [Potion] -100 - Heal all wounds
3: [Disarm] 0 - Unable to use Unique Items
5: [Torment] 200 - Cannot use the same technique or ability in consecutive rounds

 

[Chef Bryardee]

Over the ledge of the steep caldera, Reijuu could hear footfalls wading over the rocks and gravel through the sound of the altitudinous winds whistling overhead. Moments later, the figure came into view; the full afro was seen first, its perfectly bowed surface glistening very faintly with the sheen of the early evening sun. The same light rolled along the pitch-tinted surface of his square, flat-top sunglasses. Coming to a halt at the cliff there was a tall man with a lanky build hidden beneath dark garments. Sporting a black leather coat over a similarly-colored buttoned shirt and black jeans tucked inside black leather boots, he seemed as much a specter or reaper as the man standing below.

Looking on the captain, there was no change to his features that showed evidence of the disappointment beneath. The myriad of red ribbons he had sensed earlier had all but vanished, only one now rewarding his curiosity. The dark-skinned man scolded himself internally; if he had searched his spiritual sense beforehand, he might not have made the long and augurous journey.

Though, something told him... that simply turning and walking away now wasn’t going to be an option. Even still, the pentacle necklace in his coat pocket remained where it was.

[209/209]​

 

[Wayne]

He laid eyes on the individual, and while there was nothing that made him stand out physically, such normality betrayed the hidden potential tucked away underneath flesh and bones. Kyuketsu could feel it just from the man’s presence, as if the very air reverberated and broke down just from coming in contact with the Quincy. After all, that was their specialty, was it not? They subjugated the surrounding reishi and made it their own—a powerful and dangerous capability overshadowed only by their people’s ability of completely erasing souls from the cycle of reincarnation.

The captain’s hand slowly levitated for his zanpakutou, its brilliant length dangling coolly by his side.

“And here I thought ‘Monks of Destruction’ avoided us shinigami like the plague,” he berated teasingly, putting emphasis on the pronounced nickname bestowed on their kind. “Ballsy.”

349​

 

[Chef Bryardee]

The man frowned at the slight, but gave no further visible signs of chagrin. His eyes followed the captain’s hand as it floated toward the hilt of his blade, skeptically. Aside from the white hair and sharp, amber eyes, he seemed just as human as the two reapers at the quarry, his badgering speech not in any way like the all-knowing and all-powerful beings he had assumed they would be.

Reflecting on the bout between the mage and the quaint swordswoman at the quarry, he wondered just how this man compared to the two of them. He bore the same white coat as the red-haired mage, and the same self-assured temperament, even as he looked on the dark-skinned man from below. He couldn’t help but think that it was either a shared aspect among these ‘gods’ or that, after what they had done to the Quincy, that they were now prone to looking down upon and underestimating those of his kind.

Raising his chin a bit, the man gave a shallow grin.

A hand found its way inside his leather coat, and left it with the silvery chain of a pentacle necklace laced between his fingers. Reaching the hand out toward Reijuu, as if the man from below and away was within his grasp, the center of the cross began to glow with a bright blue light. From all around either of them, tiny motes of similarly-colored light appeared from seemingly nothing, gathered around the man like the stars of a constellation.

Rapidly, they flashed toward the cross as if being sucked to the singularity of a black hole. Those same cerulean dots coalesced there, blooming into a orb that swallowed the ornament whole... and then began to fade to the deepest black. The man’s hand turned on its side and closed as if holding something. The bow formed in his grasp, black light streaking out and gaining density and form. It raged, seemingly unwieldy, but felt to the man as much an extension of himself as Tenzansatsu did to the master swordsman.

Gradually, his free hand reached up and pulled a thin black string from the grip point, a tight line following behind his pinched index and middle fingers. Behind those pitch-black shades, one eye closed as he focused his aim.

The hand drawn back near his cheek paused and, with just the slightest flexing of his fingers, the drawstring was loosed... a countless number of bolts as black as the night raining down on the Fearless Duelist from above.

[421/630]​

---

Stats

Rudo Braun - Independent

Reiatsu: 41,212
Shūhaku: 4,121
Kyūzu: 20,000
Namazan: 15,000
Dōryū: 6,212

Techs:

• None

Items:

• [Unique: Empty] (S-Rank)
• [Unique: Empty] (A-Rank)

Feats:

• [Unique: Empty] (Bankai)
• [Trained: Empty] (Halcyonic Entropy PM)
• [Trained: Empty] (Lies in Remembrance PM)

Arrows

Regular old arrows. Full Shuuhaku (4,121) used. Fired at maximum range of 100m.

 

[Wayne]

No warning, no provocation. With but seconds to react to the hail of bolts, the captain drew out his blade, flashing its silver elegance with the sharp proficiency of a masterful iaido. From its split-second brandish flew a wall of energy, conflagrating hellfire spewing to consume most of the arrows. The sword back in its sheath, Kyuketsu churned his heel, blinking away in the winds of shunpo. He reappeared meters behind the archer as a thin line of red trickled down his legs, the end lengths of his robe left in tatters.

“Nothing to say?” barked the Duelist, glaring down the human. “Then again, that’s a good start if you’re that desperate to join the rest of your dead family.”

His spiritual pressure splintered all throughout the summit’s caldera, sending shockwaves of electrifying malice to seep deep into Fuji’s desecrated soil. Torrential winds spun in a howling vortex around the shinigami captain, sparks of raw energy shattering through all five senses. The ground beneath him rumbled, trembling underneath the raptor’s tremendous, barbaric intent. Kyuketsu’s shadow began to grow, casting its abysmal dye over the warzone’s entirety. Golden, leonine eyes wrapped around the mortal man, slithering over his skin like a python tightening its grip.

At last, as he drew his zanpakutou in full, its steel glistening against the scarlet backdrop of his aura, a single word left the death god’s lips: “Ban Kai.”

How nostalgic it was to see that place filled once more with the myriads of blades that once came face to face with an archaic deity of the damned. All one hundred talons set their sights on the Quincy, fangs braced and ready to devour whole. Blistering and hysteria-inducing screams warped the land, its authority bowing down before the lightless sun that was Kyuketsu. Two swords held in each hand, both pronounced in their lethality.

The captain blasted forward with another flash-step, little by little, breaking the gap between him and the sniper.

675​

Note

[Scorched Earth] and BK Aura ability put into play this round. Because of Torment, just assume that it's continuing every other round.

[Scorched Earth] The notion of ‘shock and awe’ is what instills meaning into a Duelist’s fighting mentality. It is a tenet which has been pounded into their hearts and minds to the point where it has become as instinctive to as breathing. As such, those under the banner of the Eleventh have developed within themselves an internal, unquenchable fire which aims solely to crush and rapidly dominate their foes. The very presence of a seasoned Duelist in the battlefield incites trepidation and unease within the enemy ranks, so much so that the land itself becomes subjugated to their power.

For the cost of 3% of their reiatsu per round, a user’s spiritual pressure morphs and grows denser as it further weighs down on the combat zone. This reflects as a dramatic increase in the area’s overall temperature to the point where nearby water even begins to boil and evaporate. The closer one is to the user (roughly 10 feet), the more intense the influence becomes, pushing them further and further into dehydration and heatstroke. In turn, as time progresses, this could inevitably cause one’s actions to stammer and falter.

Ability 1: The name of Kyuketsu’s Ban Kai alone breathes meaning to its capabilities. When wielding the many blades of Fuhen Souryokusen, both the weapons and its master emit an aura of unfathomable dread and lethality. By paying 1% of his reiatsu every turn, Kyuketsu produces a heightened ‘threat level’ of sorts which completely overtakes the cognitive senses of even the most seasoned of fighters. While purely psychological, for every stroke and every step, each movement by the swordsman endeavors to thoroughly pressure and crush the target’s morale.

With time itself becoming a factor, the longer the conflict ensues, the stronger the thought of panic and anxiety fills the victim. Through this, each swing comes off far more hazardous than the last, and every near miss and parry brings a freezing chill running down one’s spine.

 

[Chef Bryardee]

The confidence quality about his features melted away, not in response to the atmosphere growing torrid at the will of the white-haired psychopomp, but in light of the world-rending spiritual pressure weighing on his shoulders. On his soul. His eyes widened behind the pitch-tint lenses of his sunglasses. The gasp that threatened to spill out was caught at his throat, his breath held as the air grew thick with malice and the intent to kill flooding out from the captain. The earth trembled beneath the rubber soles of his leather boots, testing his stance and the strength of his knees and his grip on the opaque bow.

Sweat beaded his temples and brow and, just as quickly, dried on the skin as the temperature gradually, unnaturally, began to rise. His lips parted, the man stood in awe of the reaper’s authority, of how seemingly effortlessly Reijuu wielded this level of power. Envy and scorn were seeded in the pit of his stomach, but the emotions were drowned out utterly by the butterflies riling fitfully there, by the chill running through his veins.

This man...

This god was... beyond him.

Quickly thawing himself, the man was brought back to awareness by the rapid pitter-pattering of footsteps closing from afar. Over eight months of strenuous, endless, unrelenting training burned into his muscle memory kicked in. Both lips were drawn to a tight line once again, his features showing no hint of the fear that overwhelmed it a moment ago. Riding the currents of a quick screen step and then another, the distance between Reijuu and the dark-skinned archer swelled once more.

Dancing back on his heels between the hundreds of swords rooted in the uneven soil, the man’s eyes never left the leonine orbs boring into him from afar. Still gliding along the ledge of the caldera, another more concentrated volley of arrows was unleashed.

[314/944]​

---

Stuff

Two Hirenkyaku at 20m each increases the distance back to the max of 100m. Remainder of Shuuhaku (3,721) used for arrows fired at maximum range.

 

[Wayne]

Splintering through the rain of light was barrage of waltzing steel, dancing with accelerated speeds to cleave and suppress the multitude of bolts. Time was now on his side, and should the battle persist, surely the very mortal and very fragile Quincy would inevitably succumb to the parching, fatally dehydrating pressure exerted by the Duelist captain. But Kyuketsu was not a patient man, and to further prance about against his would-be foe would only serve to waste time and energy from the both of them. Truthfully, he was less inclined on murdering the human despite every free reign he had on doing so. The sniper struck first, and the shinigami was well within his rights to end him.

He raised his blade up high, beckoning the rest of his fangs to move under his command. In an instant, erected blades clamoring atop the dirt, all ninety-eight blades soared high up into the firmament, scintillating heavenly bodies giving way to a foreboding, menacing furtherance.

Taking to his feet, the man sprinted up for the human as if tempting him, provoking him to shoot him head-on.

859​

 

[Chef Bryardee]

With intense eyes, the man only glanced at the virtual school of blades that rose autonomously overhead before locking onto the sprinting captain again. He couldn’t worry about the blades; keeping the swordsman at a distance, outside of his element, was the only thing that mattered. They loomed in the sky over and away from him, drawing his attention to the corner of his line of sight every so often, but the duelist never left his vision.

Still sprinting along the edge of the increasingly humid caldera, the man suddenly stopped, locked his eyes dead on Reijuu, and leveled his bow up. A myriad of arrows were fired, none of them aimed directly at the captain. Upon impact, the dirt around Reijuu exploded up again and again, with the intent by his apparent misfiring then becoming immediately clear to the reaper as he was surrounded by a thick, immense cloud of dark dust.

Pulling back the drawstring again, eyes still where he had seen the captain before he was swallowed in dust, it was loosed again, three arrows flying and disappearing into the swirling haze.

[185/1,129]​

---

Stuff

Used 500 Reiatsu on the host of arrows that hit the ground around Reijuu; none of them connected. Spent the remainder of Shuuhaku (3,621) on 3 arrows at 1,207 rei a piece.

EDIT: Also, I'm assuming you used an actual technique/ability last round to stop the volley of arrows, right?

 

[Wayne]

The eternal, yet unmentioned gap between humans and shinigami was always one of the most advantageous should the situation arise. Experience. Instincts and situational awareness pounded and grinded into one’s mind until it became part of themselves, and for some, that which defined them the most. The distraction was obvious, that much was clear. Had it been close-quarters, Kyuketsu would have already initiated a counterstrike before another second was drawn. But this was different. He had never directly faced a Quincy before, much less one of such proficient caliber. The man’s accuracy alone was troublesome enough, and adding in the powerful bolts made it doubly so.

He quickly shifted his weight to the side the moment dust clawed his eyes, the first bolts slashing over his skin, gnawing the side of his shoulder. The second and third arrows were far less lucky, meeting the hard and cleaving steel of the raptor’s talons.

As the captain’s heels churned against the parched Fuji summit, he vanished once against in a burst of flash-step, drawing out the full range of his capabilities to bring himself closer to his mark. The brazen archer was still safe from Kyuketsu’s swings, sure enough, but not from his reach. A mental command was all it took, and it seemed as though the sky itself had been torn asunder. Like stars cast out from the heavens, countless blades came in a storming descent, all pointed strictly at the lone human. Behind their cascade were the lethality of steel, and the burning force of reiatsu. Charring the air with their penetrating ends, those that struck the ground first near the human ignited, blasting out shrapnel and fire in every direction.

1,140​

ballsacks

yeah sorry i forgot to put it. last turn i used Buuzei. this turn, used two ijjou ittou to block two of the shots. used two flash steps again to come near, then combo'd two BK abilities together. four sword grenades exploded near rudo

Attack 2: The countless swords materialized throughout the battlefield are just as alive as those in Kyuketsu’s hands. Deadly even whilst impaled on the dirt, Kyuketsu can mentally command any of the one hundred katanas of Fuhen Souryokusen to ignite and scatter, acting as a kind of frag grenade which releases both energy and sharpened projectiles. The scope of one detonation ranges at 5 meters around and costs the user 1,500 reiatsu per weapon sacrificed.

By paying an additional 1% of his reiatsu per turn after that, all shrapnel that have been embedded into a target dig themselves deeper into the body unless otherwise counteracted by the victim.

Attack 3: Though limited in using all of Fuhen Souryokusen’s swords, for a time, Kyuketsu may be able to utilize all of them at once in a resounding, utterly dominating offensive against the enemy. By giving up 15% of his reiatsu Kyuketsu can rally the remainder of the weapons to shoot up high into the sky, staying there for a whole turn. Once the next phase comes to pass, all summoned swords will rain down on a target with tremendous force, dealing the same amount of damage equivalent to its cost along with the piercing descent of their numerous blades. With its use comes a three-turn cool down period.

 

[Chef Bryardee]

The myriad of katanas that fell around him, those that the man had ignored as his steps weaved in and out between them, fractured into a countless number of fragments that burst out. Eyes still on the captain down in the caldera below, the man heard only the sound of them shattering as his body clenched up for what he hadn’t seen coming.

Both eyes closed and, not a second later, did that spray of jagged steel slice into him from all over. The fine leather and cotton of his jacket and the shirt underneath were torn, pieces of the material exploding outward from his entire body. Moving too fast for the eye to read, it seemed as if something imperceivable was cutting into him from all over. Streaks of red could be seen in the deep clefts left in his attire, and across one side of his face. A shard pinged off of the black frames of his pitch-tinted sunglasses, hard enough to rip them from his face and send the cracked lenses to the ground.

A sharp groan shot from his lips as he stumbled and fell to the ground. A sharp, brutal stinging pain riddled his body. He clenched his teeth tight, bow still materialized and in hand as he tried to get up. It was too much, for a moment. Every little movement was agonizing as the dozens and dozens of fragments embedded in his body cut his flesh even more with every little twitch.

The distance between them was closed quicker and quicker, drawing out the resilience in the man as he pushed through that mind-numbing anguish. Hissing through his teeth, the man stood once more, breathing in deeply, compressing the pain, fooling himself into considering it all trivial. And, as if on cue, his side screamed in agony, sending pain coursing through his entire body, reminding him of just how close to the edge that he was. The heat in the air grew thicker and thicker as the white-haired swordsman drew closer, but the man was at least above to fight through that with comparative ease.

The bow was raised once more, one finger on the hand gripping it pointed toward Reijuu. Gathering focus, gathering the fortitude of mind needed for what was to come, both those dark brown eyes sharpened, one closing as the tip of his finger was centered directly at the captain’s feet.

With a slight movement, his aim was directly to the captain’s side. From afar, Reijuu could hear the man groan, could see the man bite his bottom lip into his mouth, as if the blades were riling within him. The black arrow pulsed and then was loosed. When it impacted the dirt, the very earth shuddered and then was drawn to it. A host of the swords the captain had manifested shook and then were ripped from the ground, swallowed toward where the arrow had struck with the force of a black hole, subject to an intense pull from reishi currents ripping toward.

Without pause, the drawstring was pulled back again, yet much more gradually... and with much more pain saturating the man’s face. From all over a countless number of cuts, distinct from those inflicted by the psychopomp, riddled his body. His overexertion had cost him greatly; the mere fact that he still stood was a feat, in itself. Though he attempted to retain his iron cast, his knees trembled, and rapid breaths escaped his tightly-drawn lips. It burned. It burned so badly...

But he couldn’t, wouldn’t lose!

The thin black line that was the next arrow to come grew thicker and thicker as the string was pulled closer and closer to his cheek. The particles in the air remained there, inert and inconsequential. From within, a black flame spilled outward, shaking the earth with a power that surely wouldn’t dare threaten the ungodly sway of the sword god in its midst. The pentacle cross at his wrist held no glow, no pull.

It was his own energy that fueled the massive, devastating arrow aimed on Reijuu. Relaxing his hands with a noticeable look of relief about him, the enormous salvo rocketed forth, aiming directly where the captain was being pulled to. The bow evaporated into countless particles of reishi. The archer collapsed to his knees.

[719/1,848]​

---

Fuck

Okay so... Used two different techniques: Nichtig Erde and Vergessen. The first kinda, sorta, makes a super-harsh version of Event Horizon; it's pulling everything within the 10m diameter of the impact point toward it very rapidly.

That includes Reijuu... and all the swords from his Bankai that're in that area.

The second is a massive bow that does nothing special except that its a big explosion. Rudo shot that right at the impact point so that it would hit right after Reijuu and all the swords that'll slice-and-dice him get there.

Each of these technique costs 6,000. I have a maximum of 4,121 to spend from my Shuuhaku per round; any more than that, it hurts. It spent 12,200... so I won't have any free rei for next few turns... and he's pretty much about to pass out from too much pain.

<_<;;

[Nichtig Erde] - “Negation Territory”
Quincy thrive on controlling the flow of battle and being able to adapt to any situation in order to maintain their advantage. Nothing epitomizes this philosophy more than Nichtig Erde. The technique is initiated by firing an arrow molded from negatively charged reishi at a target location. Upon impact, the arrow begins drawing spirit particles towards itself at an incredibly rapid pace, generating a sphere of strong, negative reishi currents that throws enemies, as well as any other matter caught in the area of effect towards its center with bone-shattering force.

Each use of Nichtig Erde costs the user 6,000 Reiatsu and covers a radius of roughly 5 meters from the point of impact. This technique can only be used once per round and has a maximum firing range of 20 meters.

Requirement: 10,000 Namazan

[Vergessen] - Oblivion
Pure unbridled devastation and the epitome of a Quincy’s destructive nature given form, Vergessen requires the quincy pay 6,000 reiatsu from either their own reiatsu or their Shuuhaku pool to craft a single, massive arrow of super-compressed reishi. The spirit particles composing this arrow, much like Seele Schneider, resonate at an incredibly high frequency, allowing it to tear through almost anything it its path.

Vergessen is capable of slicing through barriers it encounters. Half of the barrier's durability is deducted from the arrow's overall strength. Upon striking a solid target or barrier with higher durability than remains in the arrow, it explodes, dealing the remainder of its damage in a 5m radius around the point of impact. This technique has a maximum firing range of 40 meters.

Requirements: 10,000 Kyuuzu

 

[Wayne]

The tugging pull behind the arrow was a devastating one, reminiscent of the Eleventh’s signature skill yet far superior in every way fathomable. As he was swept off to its epicenter, seized by the negative energies of reiatsu, his balance and footing were left forfeit to chance. There, stumbling onto the dusted soil on which the first bolt landed, his eyes were beholden with the immense terror given the shape of an archer’s arrow. Larger than any man, swifter than sound, the force behind it reeked with unbridled, deadly potential. Laid on his back atop the dirt, he moved his blade in a haphazard, offhanded stroke—a petty facsimile of a swing compared to what he was truly capable of.

What mattered behind the slash, however, was not precision or brute strength. Erupting from the talon’s edge was a flash of infernal crimson, as if the caldera of Fuji itself spat out magma given the form of brimming fire. Yet, despite such valiant effort, there was no obstructing the potency behind the Quincy’s shot aimed at the very heart of Kyuketsu’s shadow.

Though weakened by the shinigami captain’s countermeasure, the attack roared with fuming vengeance, shattering sight and sound as a massive flare ignited to consume the captain whole. Through the silence which followed, a crater spewing dust and smoke littered the point of impact. There came no silhouette of the raptor, no figure hiding behind the curtain of black clouds. Seconds passed, the lengths of which seemed like an eternity whilst drowned in the madness of warfare. At last, as the cracking and snapping of dirt began to emerge, so too did the lord of the Duelists. Moving through the smog step by meager step, Kyuketsu’s figure came into full view. A hole the size of a fist made its home near his lower left ribcage, going through and through to reveal the near-picturesque scene behind him. Lines of red spilled from his lips, drop by drop falling to the ground.



“Strong, daring. You fight well.” A sharp half-smirk made its way onto his features, uncaring of the plaguing agony which ravaged his wounds. “Worthy of the Quincy bloodline.”

His left hand lost its grip, the sword it held falling to the dirt along with the other blades which made up the captain’s Ban Kai. With only his dominant hand responding to him, Kyuketsu advanced forward nevertheless, unrelenting and persevering. His injuries would heal, that much was certain. But it seemed, with the notorious addition behind the Quincies’ powers, a part of him was gone forever—deleted, completely erased from existence.

“So tell me, archer whose name I do not know, why must we continue this pointless feud? Why must unnecessary blood be spilled... especially from someone as talented and competent as you,” he praised, continuing to limp towards the human. “Your heritage alone brings into question whether or not you should be hunted down, but the simple fact that you attacked a captain of the Gotei Thirteen unprovoked gives me free reign on ending your breathing here and now. My fire is as scorching and blistering as ever. I am capable of caging you in a black box which would pierce you from all sides. I can summon a massive hellblade to cremate you in one blow. Or I could simply snap my fingers and command the myriads of sword fragments within your wounds to kill you from the inside out. Your vital organs aren’t that far off.

However... I am not such a monster that I would needlessly waste your existence for my amusement. I could... but I won’t. You have desires and aspirations as with everyone else, yet you also possess self-doubt, uncertainty... fear. Fear of extinction, of decay. Fear of failing those you seek to protect, and most of all: yourself. I could exploit that fear, or harness it. I choose the latter. I could offer you an alternative to this murderous festival of ours, one that would be beneficial to you and me in mutual accordance. If you’re willing to listen, of course.”

Taking hold of his zanpakutou once more, Kyuketsu pressed a tightened fist against the bleeding hole by his side. His lips moved one final time, the cold, eerie words echoing from once before: “...Or we could keep this up. Yor choice.”

1,860​

ohboyherewego.exe

 

[Chef Bryardee]

The man hollered out in pain as the autonomous blades riddling his innards twisted and crawled deeper into his body. It was as if there were a hundred people surrounding him, each with their own serrated knife in hand, each of them puncturing him from all over, applying pressure and as much pain to what grievous wounds they had already inflicted. Lying on his stomach, arms and legs utterly benumbed by the pain of his own energy burning him from within, the man groaned sharply, his face completely flooded with agony.

Stubborn pride had refused the cries that were bottlenecked at the base of his throat, but his expression of anguish was pathetic enough.

The words the captain spoke were registered as a murmur, something inconsequential in comparison to the sheer amount of pain torturing him now. Truth be told, the man was surprised he was still even alive. A small part of him begged the swordsman to kill him, to release him from what gripped him now. With his emotions mixed, flowing sporadically from fear for his life to the acceptance of its imminent closure, the dark-skinned man finally brought himself back to awareness as the pain subsided just a bit.

After a moment, he could think clearly once more. His subconscious could be heard vividly, as if it were someone screaming only inches from his ear, telling him how insane this way and how, as the captain had put it, completely senseless it was for him to arbitrarily attack this man. But then, this wasn’t the first instance of his self-righteousness, his abhorrent arrogance, pushing him closer and closer toward the abyss. There was little contrition, little regret. He had never intended to leave this life begging and pleading for it not to end.

Instead...

“All this muhfuckin’ talkin’.” He chuckled under his breath, wheezing. “You done this before, right? Hurry up and get the shit over wit...”

[320/2,168]​

 

[Wayne]

The puddles of mortal blood staining the ground began to shift, possessed by an otherworldly force as they began to slither towards the shinigami captain. Behind the healing capabilities Kyuketsu was gifted with, such a feat came with a gruesome, macabre price. It seemed almost vampiric in nature how the blood of his enemies would return to him, mending his wounds in the process. As much blood was drawn and spilled, however, the hole was not entirely sealed, the majority of it all still gaping wide open. Vanishing once more in a series of flash-steps, a surge of pain panged through his entire body, clawing at his nerves with every breath. Soon, with baby steps drawing him closer, he approached the Quincy lying atop the dirt.

“You talk as if you have nothing to lose, as if you care not whether the whole world burns.” He scoffed, though the signs of agony were still evident on his features. “How cold-blooded you are.”

He placed a single foot forward, pressing it hard atop the Quincy’s right hand so as it prevent any... ‘unwarranted’ reaction. Kneeling down, he placed a single hand hovering atop the most major of the human’s injuries.

“I will ask you again,” he said as a faint green light emanated from his outstretched palm, healing the archer slowly but surely. “This pride of yours is admirable... but foolhardy. You could listen and I could continue healing you. Or I can walk away and let you rot here and die. This is my last offer, monk.”

2,117​

 

[Chef Bryardee]

In spite of the foot pressed harshly against his already throbbing wrist, the energy at his back provided some form of solace, if only minorly. With his cheek pressed against the dirt, the man tightened his lips to a straight line and shed the anguish from his features, refusing to look the captain in the eye. If not for his condition, he likely would’ve spat on him...

Or, foolishly, much worse.

Nothing was said; the man simply let his silence and his obvious lack of resistance speak for him.

 

[Wayne]

The Quincy’s answer proved evident through his silence. Yet, despite such baleful pride lingering even near death, Kyuketsu couldn’t help but find the act more amusing than spiteful. He smirked, looking down at the battered mortal as he put a halt to his healing. The captain stood up, albeit greatly labored in doing so. He turned around, the look in his eyes almost mockingly threatening to activate his sword’s murderous technique.

“It seems as though my healing has made you mute.” He snorted. “If you wish to commune like a dog, then by all means, rot and die like a dog. I have no intention of dealing with animals.”

2,226​

 

[Chef Bryardee]

“What the f---!”

As if that other self was saving him, the man coughed harshly. Blood trickled onto his lips as he sucked in air through his teeth, wheezing low through the pain radiating out from his chest. Breathing deeply, swallowing blood and pride down, the man spoke once more.

“What d’you want from me...?”

[55/2,312]​

 

[Wayne]

He remained standing, not once considering lowering himself back to the archer’s level. Most of the Quincy’s wounds were stabilized, and while the mortal was still very much in pain, bereft of all means of independence, he would most definitely live to see another day.

“Was that so hard to do?” replied the captain, followed immediately by a scoff. “Very well. Despite you attempting to kill me for no reason whatsoever, I shall give you... the benefit of a doubt. I will put away my sword and trust that you do the same, so we can talk without distractions. However, should you try and pull anything, I am close enough and capable enough of tearing out your throat before another thought even passes through your mind.”

Kyuketsu’s final release faded as the remaining blades shattered to leave only a single blade clasped in the captain’s hand.

“Now first things first, Quincy,” he continued, not awaiting any response from the human. “What’s your name?”

2,389 - FINAL​