Arano wasn't quite sure if he enjoyed or loathed the cold. His jet-black overcoat clung warmly to him, a thankful shield from the frigid winds. Wind blew here and there, whipping up snow into a vicious flurry.
His thoughts were a whirl of questions and answers. Perpetual riddles that plagued his mind to drag thick bags under his mismatched eyes. The left, a deep crimson, stared outwards without a pupil - functioning but unsettling - as the right was a fierce blue that caught every detail of the arena. His breath misted in front of him, a small amount of the snow clinging to his black-dyed hair. Near his bangs, locks of a deep purplish color could still be glimpsed.
The banding on his arm was uncomfortable to wear, even now. He scratched at it idly, his mind turning to thoughts of his opponent. Tsubaki... an unstable shinigami if he had any right to say as much. Her arrogance was forthcoming, unwilling to admit the slightest mistake for the sake of... he wasn't sure.
Rumors had long since reached his ears of her. That her skill with a sword was unmatched, rivaling even that of the Soutaichou's. The shadow beneath his feet roiled at the thought. Careful wouldn't be enough if the woman were so bloodthirsty.
Sliding a syringe from his pocket in a swift motion, he plunged one end into his arm and depressed the trigger. With a sigh of exasperation, he withdrew and discarded it. He paled to an unhealthy pallor, grafts of ice clinging to his face. The sting of the cold lessened, and a slight of confidence comforted him.
Standing up to his ankles in snow, the human stood with hands in his pockets, waiting.
"Damn man, you gotta be freezing." Tsubaki strode out to meet her opponent with admirable speed, though it could hardly be called hurrying. "I mean, I'm not human and I'm cold, so you gotta be...yeah, yeah you get it."
She gave him a quick appraising glance, deciding against going any further with the thought. Though it had been roughly a year since the woman had laid eyes on Arano his expression still contained the same tired agitation that she had oh-so-fondly remembered. Nice to know some things didn't change.
"But hey, while I've got you here you still with Puppy Corp?"
Al Gore is a fucking hack
Rolled a Potion. I know, I'm scared too. Also, equalizing because told to.
Tsubaki
Reiatsu: 40,000
Rite of Rebellion: 48,000
Axis of Anarchy 56,000
Zanjutsu: 33,934
Hakuda: 673
Hohou: 3,367
Kidou: 2,026
A snort - of amusement or derision, it was unclear - sent a puff of misty air in front of Arano's face. "Haven't heard that one before... yeah, you could say I am."
Casting wary eyes about the woman, he briefly observed the blade at her side, before regaining eye contact. "You know... I really didn't expect Sayis of all people to be so reckless. You ruined our only advanced training ground, you know."
The slight crunch of snow underfoot was the only sound that interrupted the high whistling of the arctic winds. Shifting from foot to foot, Arano could feel the skin on the back of his neck begin to stand. The very presence of the woman set alarm in his body, muscles tensing and relaxing.
His would be the first move, he decided. His energy rose in a low froth, bubbling to the surface tremulously. Ice, unseen beneath the layers of snow, spread thickly against the ground. His legs bent slightly for a better foothold, before he finished his thoughts. "Perhaps restraint is simply not a quality of the shinigami."
[Khionesine]
A completely clear, ice-cold liquid; when held up to the light it seems to reflect a variety of colors. When injected, the drug travels directly to the brain and affects the body's ability to control temperature. While active, the user’s sub-zero body temperature causes their body to appear to be smoking, as grafts of ice on their body instantly begins to sublime on contact with the air.
Effect: This injection grants the user the ability to drain heat from objects, allowing them to instantly freeze objects they touch. This also allows the user to lower their body temperature and endure subzero temperatures. Each burst of freezing ability costs 200 reiatsu and can affect up to 2m radius on a surface.
"Easy sunshine, you didn't even let me finish." A quick hop backwards and a burst of energy sent two wings bursting forth from the woman's back. As the former Captain hovered a few meters above the ground, she hesitantly continued.
"I didn't expect him to either, but what's done is done. So!" She clapped her still empty hands together in punctuation. "This is my...my thing, I guess. I don't like debts. Debts get to me, make it harder to do my job in clear conscience....not that you should have put your only advanced training facility up as a public playground but I guess whatever...it really should be common sense not to bring your best toy to show-and-tell...especially if show-and-tell is full of high-end shitstompers?"
The hurried words came to a stop as Tsubaki put one palm forward in a halting gesture while the other hand pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm rambling. I do that, apparently. So anyway, this is my thing. I didn't start the trashing of your little lakeside cottage, but it would seem that I finished it. I'm not really sure...I kinda black out if I use the full extent of my abilities. Is that weird? That should be weird."
Two fingers pinched tighter, reminding her of the purpose behind them. "Right! The thing, the thing." Almost abruptly as they had sprang to motion her hands returned to their sides, empty and idle. "I owe Puppy Corp a debt. Since you're the first one from Puppy Corp I've come across and I've already gotten to fight the fight I entered this tournament for...I'll let you have this one."
One finger quickly raised in a cautionary gesture before she continued, and an index finger at that. Would wonders never cease.
"But! If I do this, and let you take the win without getting a scratch for it? We're square. Puppy Pals rebuild their own clubhouse, and learn a valuable lesson." With their illustrative work completed, her hands found their way into the (relatively) warmer shelter of her pockets.
"So, what'll it be?"
[345/446]
Note
-1,000 Rei activation for White Feather Fragment. Has fly. Much wow. So doge.
Arano's features were obscured by the flurry, shoulders hunching twice to warm him before relaxing once more. He breathed in, eyes closing to recall his match with Sayis.
Then, they opened. His energy poured forth, a torrent of shadow ebbing from beneath the tundra to stain his immediate surroundings in umbra. His energy, indigo and stained partially with a hideous black, lent strength to his words as he shouted up to Tsubaki.
"I've no use for debts and recompense. You want to make up for the havoc you caused?" His reiryoku flashed challengingly. "Show me what makes you different! Show me that there is more than arrogance and recklessness to your people!"
Then, movement. Fast, and inhuman. The air itself became platform, and in an instant the human had sprung to an equal height of the shinigami. "Show me who your choices have made you!"
Arano swung hard, intent with all the rampant strength of his kind.
The former Templar Queen spurred to action in the blink of an eye, diminished by her limiter but no less deadly for it. The abyssal black blade of Duskdrinker roared to life from the ether in her right hand, coming up in a rising crescent to meet the boy's blow.
"....why I stopped trying to be nice!"
[60/506]
Note
15% Reiatsu Pool Reduction, 5,850 Earmarked. 3,000 lbs of striking force to counter your incoming attack. Knockback, not damage yeah I know pretty much everyone knows this one by now.
Feat Name: Duskdrinker
Feat Type: Unique
Feat Description: (I'll probably do a more wordy version later.)
The Gist: Activating Duskdrinker grants Tsubaki a greatsword of pulsing dark energy, powered by her own spiritual force. Strikes with Duskdrinker hit with the power equivalent of whatever Tsubaki's pressure would be at after paying the cost of activating the feat. The technique itself does not cost Reiatsu to activate, but instead lowers Tsubaki's Reiatsu pools in Sealed/Shi Kai and Ban Kai forms by 15%. This deduction in Reiatsu remains active until the technique is canceled.
For every 10,000 Reiatsu worth of pressure generated by Tsubaki, the force of her physical strikes increases by 1000 lbs. This increase in strength is calculated only after the initial cost of the technique is paid, and lowers in kind as the Captain uses Reiatsu. Spiritual beings can weather the sheer force, preventing them from being immediately shattered by the blow and instead the effect greatly amplifies the knock-back force. Non-spiritual and mundane objects can be easily destroyed by the ability.
The ebony broadsword struck harshly against Arano's fist, the two cacophonous forces blasting away the icy winds about them - a brief peace overtaking the skies - before a fresh flurry continued to swirl. Where one ought have been thrown aside, neither did.
Their blows were equally matched, for the time being.
Once more, the Director kicked off the air. Snow shook from where it settled on him, and his landing was less than graceful as he tucked backwards and away from the woman. A thin wound had been traced along his hand - almost splitting it in two as it cut deep between his fingers. He kept it clenched, unwilling to showcase it.
He did not shout once more to the woman. Instead, a hazy filter entered her mind. A static-filled message shone through, in Arano's blunt tone. What use have we for niceties? We are opponents. Not friends, not comrades.
Arano's energy compressed harshly, a whump audible over the din of the arctic. Oushurin had been sealed away, a capacitor for when the young human would wish to strike most quickly. Then, with a sudden gust... he vanished.
Oushurin Activated, and Houmatsu's physical cloak activated.
Houmatsu
Putting high values on his own ability to attack without fear of retaliation, or to provide himself with a ready escape, Arano has cobbled together his own ability to mask his presence from what he has glimpsed of the Quincy’s and Shinigami’s own abilities to do so.
By paying 5% of his reiatsu, Arano can create one of two cloaks: a spiritual one, and a physical one. Activating the spiritual cloak suppresses all reiatsu from Arano, making his signature impossible to track by even the most advanced methods. This cloak is immediately broken if Arano actively expends reiatsu.
Activating the physical cloak causes Arano to disappear from physical sight, leaving not even the faintest outline to detect him by, though debris and other particles may give away his location under normal circumstances. This cloak is immediately broken if Arano comes into contact with any significant reiatsu signature (attack, person, item, etc.)
[ Oushurin ] - "Controlled Response"
Cerberus operatives know the value of reiatsu allocation during and battle and are adept at its usage. During battle a Cerberus member may put up to 20% of his or her reiatsu away into storage. This reiatsu pool grows by 10% of that amount per round, up to +50% of the stored reiatsu.
This reiatsu must all be used in the round it is reclaimed. The bonus reiatsu that is spent or stored does not add to the user’s Resonance.
With an annoyed smirk Tsubaki rose higher in the air, drawing the Rite of Rebellion from her back and holding it at the ready. While the man remained hidden from the naked eye, the former Captain continued to bide her time and wait for him to make the first move.
If he was so gung-ho to have this fight that was fine, but that didn't mean she was going to rush in blindly.
She had the high ground so to speak, and she had time. An opening would come.
Aren't we? his voice answered back. What are we, then? What are shinigami and human?
The flurry stopped against his form, rebounding against his cloaked self. It distinguished him, but the clinging snow was lost against the stiff breezes that sent up further gouts of the cold material.
The shadows retreated, leaving pristine whiteness below. Arano's words continued to filter into Tsubaki's mind. Not enemies, but not comrades. What are we? Allies of circumstance? Allies of common purpose? Does humanity hold meaning to you in the first place?
What do you think this tournament is really about, Tsubaki? He demanded.
"It's funny, you keep talking about me like you know me." She continued to float over the battlefield patiently, responding to the boy's accusatory questions in a calm and level tone.
"Humans, Hollows, Shinigami...none of us carry any true elevation over the others. We're not your gods, you aren't our servants. Alliances will be formed and broken as needed, just as they always have been. And just as it always has been, we are all grains of sand on the great scales of balance."
"I don't know what the purpose of this tournament is, and frankly I don't much care. With the exception of your lovely steel box I have yet to kill anyone in this melee, regardless of whether they are human or otherwise." The former Captain dismissed the black blade of Duskdrinker, keeping her true sword at the ready all the same.
"I'm sorry you seem to have a problem with Shinigami kid, but it's your problem. Do you want to explain it or is it easier to demonize us without knowing what you're truly hating?"
You've had your fight, isn't that it? He replied hotly. Gotten your fight in, destroyed an arena. Why should anything be your problem?
A flurry kicked up, before dying down to reveal the human standing plainly, disgust written on his features. Of course you don't care. Why should you? Why should you give thought to anything beyond your own immediate satisfaction?
I have many problems, Tsubaki. Each one explained falls upon deaf ears. Why waste my breath? He huffed physically.
Come, then. If you've no reason to fight, you'll see no problem in deciding this blow-for-blow.
Arano threw his arms wide. One shot, and you can take this. Show me, shinigami.
Without warning the wings that held the former Captain aloft disappeared, dropping her from her roost onto the snow covered iceberg with a soft thump. "I might not know what your problems are, mister puppy. But train-wrecks recognize train-wrecks."
Tsubaki walked forward calmly, making no attempt to attack or seize the opening that Arano himself had created. "However, I don't want your pity any more than you want mine. So if you're set on doing this I'll make you a deal." As her words echoed out into the biting wind a woman once known as the Templar Queen extended her right hand, offering it to the arguably over-dramatic man.
"We've both played hard to get this far. So. You make this worth my while, and I'll make it worth yours." She smiled, tilting her head slightly to try and seek a kinder gaze from him.
"So comes the sudden change of heart?" Arano scoffed. He made no movement to accept the hand. The Shadow of Cerberus had no time nor patience for ham-handed deals. "You offered me a fight without struggle, and so I offer you the same in return. "
He refused to lower his arms, and held them firmly outwards. "Strike, Tsubaki. Or concede of your own accord. If you wish to rescind your offer, do so with blows."
The mismatched eyes of the young man narrowed. His energy flared, irritated. The Director of Fukushima had no need for petty pleasantries, no more than the woman herself.
[ 105 / 1138 ]
Message
Beaks, we're two days out from our deadline. Neither of us can dedicate the time necessary to do an extensive amount with this fight having wasted so much time.
Arano's set on his course, stubborn as he is. He perceives Tsubaki as having insulted him, rather harshly as well. You can feel free to attempt whatever magnitude of blow you feel fitting, or concede. He won't change his mind at this point.
I told you I wanted to do something fun with this, and this is the closest thing I can come up with that we can still do with our remaining time. I don't expect a loss, nor a victory. Give me your best, and Arano will either drop, or pay it in kind.
"You're a real piece of work, friend. I offer you an easy win and you denied it, and now you want me to hit you?" She sighed lightly to herself as the unshaken hand dropped back to her side. "Alright, so I give you a hit and then you hit me? We can do that."
A few meandering steps closed the gap between them, and Tsubaki raised one hand and brought it against the top of Arano's head with a quick thump.
His mouth squirmed into an unsatisfied scowl for a moment, and he rubbed at the offending spot briefly. He remained silent, for a time, standing in the howling winds and driving snow. Heterochromatic eyes stared up at the taller woman, almost reminding him of the age of the shinigami before him.
She was firmly, for whatever reason, against taking this to extreme blows. In sharp contrast of her previous fight, Tsubaki seemed... sated.
A brief sigh issued from him, the breath misting in front of him. Then, he spoke two words. "My turn."
The blow struck the woman in the ribs before she could so much as reply. Inhuman strength drove her backwards, skipping over the packed ice and fallen snow to cushion her fall a number of meters away. Coughing lightly, Tsubaki seemed more surprised by the blow than anything.
Arano stepped over her, and then... extended his hand. "Stand, Tsubaki. I concede."
The former Captain couldn't help but chuckle as he stood over her. Was this the same man who moments before was goading her into attacking with all she had?
"I'm sorry..." She took his hand, brought quickly to her feet as Arano jerked her upwards. "...but I am completely confused. You what now?"
Arano didn't elaborate. Instead, he gave a sort of small smile - the first positive emotion he had displayed the entire match - and turned to walk away.
He disappeared swiftly into the snow, his mind already churning with the infinite spiral of questions that plagued him. Some answered, some created. An immediate ease had been formed about him, but no joy.
The Tournament had, perhaps, accomplished at least one of its purposes.
