• Ready to join Post Terminus?

    Click to get started and submit your first character.

    Getting Started

[8th/11th] Week ---: Jungles in the Mist

"You're right about that," Ryoujin began, "Scatter Kazeoni."

As things became more tense with Thomas's sudden confession about his past, the pink-haired Blood Templar wondered how much longer it would be until the boy went completely mad. Guess that's what Raifuku's game does to people?

Shrugging, he disappeared in a flash step. Re-emerging in front of Setsuna, he stood in the way of the incoming branches that were coming dangerously close to the spell blade. With his own zanpakutou, he slashed at the branches that hadn't caught on fire. Instead of making contact with the burning branches from behind, three blades flashed into existence, each one of them floating and bending to his own will. With simultaneous timing, the trio unleashed a barrage of slashes, thwarting back the threat but not without catching on fire themselves. Before the engulfed swords could completely disintegrate, they hurtled forward towards Thomas, aiming to incinerate him. Each of the fiery blades sped towards the explorer in a precise path so as to give a particular swordsman enough leeway to strike the man down himself.

"No one ever seems to understand when they're clearly outnumbered," Ryoujin said, sighing.​

[ 1517 ]​
 
Picca had a goofy grin on her face as she scratched her chin. What would happen? It certainly couldn't hurt to test it out right, the limits of that strange explorer's powers? After all, there were two of the baddest dudes from the eleventh right here, and two others here as well. The grinning shinigami was almost certain that they could handle it even if she did test it out.

"The sixty ninth way of binding, Death Rose."

From the ground, four giant, thorny roots sprang up and spiraled up the sides of the tree the explorer was on. He was their target and their mission was to entwine him in a spiky prison.

[354] =D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
“Quite fearsome you are.” Kyuketsu sneered as he suddenly appeared behind the man. “But I suggest you come back when you’ve done three centuries worth of killings.”

Ryoujin and Picca’s attacks closed in on the madman while the Acting Captain stood as a blockade by the rear, allowing the initial pair to their work. He then brought his sword forward, and through a gleaming flourish, brought countless swings to descend upon their foe. He struck from nearly all sides, committing his blade’s movements to the graceful speeds of the wind.

A conductor amongst the opera of swords, Kyuketsu gave a fleeting pause to his edged sonata as he uttered, “Bakudou Seventy-Nine: Kuyou Shibari.”

...And he continued once more, not a hitch or drag to his bloody symphony. He stepped back, allowing his kidou’s pressure to come forth in full. In a proceeding sweep, he lunged forward a second time, his agility now ripping through with such lethal finesse worth only of the masters.​


596​

kuyou shibari and senka used.
 
Pain seared through the psychotic man's back, deep gashes opening all over it. Had the reaper not cast the bindings he had, Thomas surely would have plummeted to the ground below. As it was, however, he felt like his body was being pulled in every direction at once, only amplifying the pain already coursing through his nerves. He had to act fast if he didn't want to be skewered. As the roots raced up toward them, Thomas exerted his own energy over them, stealing control from the girl below. He accelerated their ascent, quickly guiding them to circle around him to deter further attack.

The thorns lightly brushed his skin, drawing small amounts of blood, negligible compared to the wounds the other had given him. What was important, though, was the thorns also covered the outside of the rose. With any luck, that gnat behind him would impale himself and die. He was too unimportant for Thomas to deal with personally; he still needed to kill that redhead more than anything.

"You've made a second mistake, I'm afraid," he announced to the reapers gathered around him. His voice faltered slightly, pain taking away some of its mad confidence, but it was still surprisingly crazed. "I'm an explorer, I've traveled through more than just jungles."

The madman sent as large a burst of energy as he could down through the vines surrounding him, this time channeling it into the very earth itself. Suddenly, large jagged rocks burst up, rising in all directions, threatening to impale most of his assailants. If he were to die, and surely this was his last, great journey, he would take at least one of them with him to hell.

[289/1,445]
​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yukiko saw the upcoming earth spikes just in time and slammed her hand onto the ground once again. Right next to the ones Thomas had created, a thinner version shot up at an angle to it, slamming into that larger spike and slowing its rise from the ground.

Woo, that was close. “Um, you can kill him now.” Up above her, Setsuna, who had thankfully managed to maintain his balance on the branch he stood upon as the others all attacked Thomas. Instead of attacking, Setsuna opted to instead divert Thomas’ focus away from the others. Hopping to the left, the Ninth Seat of the Eighth fell back toward the ground, landing on and sliding down one of Yukiko’s earth spikes. Once at the floor, and directly below Thomas, he slammed Senshin into the ground and a pillar of fire shot upward out of the ground.

[146/1,032]​
 
Although Yukiko had managed to mostly quell the threat from the gargantuan rocks, one managed to break free and approach dangerously close to him. Using his own zanpakutou, guided by his experience and resolve with the blade, Ryoujin aimed precise slashes at the jagged obstruction. In no time, it split up and reduced to nothing but hundreds of tiny pebbles, raining down. While the 'small meteor show' was pleasant to the eye, it came with a price. Sure enough, as his hands gripped the hilt of Kazeoni, blood started to flow from his hands. After having used such force, it was no wonder why he must have opened up previous blisters.

While Thomas was preoccupied with Setsuna and the lure of his zanpakutou, Ryoujin didn't bother formulating a strategy with Kyuketsu or Picca. Neither of them had yet to release their soul slayers, and it seemed like they wouldn't for the duration of this battle. And if that were going to remain the case, then so be it.

He summoned three more weapons, except this time they were not swords but rather scythes. This time he wouldn't fail. With the aim of a true expert at weaponcrafting, the pink-haired youth watched as they once more sped towards Thomas, each aiming to impale him before he could even mumble something else about exploring.

"...To be quite honest, you seem to talk lots about how much of a grand explorer you are. Well, try going from hell to back."​

[ 1764 ]​
 
The mortal was starting to become quite the bother. Any other foe would have fallen already to their continuing barrage, but this one proved capable simply because of his ability to control the surrounding area. Slashing away at the vines, Kyuketsu failed to quickly notice the approaching rocks. Danger needed but a split-second delay, a fraction of an instant where one’s guard was put at fault. The Acting Captain was able to cleave apart a thrown boulder, but the cut came relatively rougher than needed. His injuries still haunting him, Kyuketsu wasn’t able to fully slice apart the projectile as cleanly as he wanted to. The remaining fragments scattered about, ricocheting against tree trunks as the shrapnel managed to cut and slash away at the Templar Commander.

Gnashing his teeth, Kyuketsu locked his gaze back to the foolhardy human. Had he been in full power, the little vermin would have been diced to shreds by now. Sadly, that wasn’t quite the case. The basic and straightforward approach was insufficient against a constantly-fleeing opponent... thus they needed to improvise.

“Ryoujin,” Kyuketsu called out. “Do it.”

The Third Seat was closer to the madman, but his speed was good enough to break any gap in seconds. Kyuketsu and he had developed a certain ability that made them stood out from the norm, skills that apotheosized their bond as warriors who, side-by-side, stand against the face of death. The Templar Leader didn’t utilize shunpo or any of the sorts. Instead, he brought to light the power shared by him and his brother, swapping places in an instantaneous flash in a direct rebuttal to the laws of physics itself. He appeared in Ryoujin’s place, sword drawn and at the ready. Leaping towards Thomas, Kyuketsu released his blade’s power (albeit only for a moment) as the consuming flames of Tenzansatsu began to encircle the explorer.

And as the ebony flames reached the explorer, Ryoujin smirked and appeared once more. Had he stuck with the same tactic and just used his scythes in a frontal assault, he would have probably failed, but with the Acting Captain having given the cue, the original attack that he was giving the impression of turned into something far more.

Whether it was Kyuketsu striking or the pink-haired youth didn’t matter at this point. To anyone’s eyes, it seemed like the two were trading places with one another, and while that may have been, there was no way to distinguish which one was acting as the decoy while the other struck.

As the scythes reached within striking distance of Thomas, they were coated with the biting force of a powerful gale. In tandem with Kyuketsu’s strike, a shockwave propelled forwards, empowering and adding to the devastating force behind Tenzansatsu’s ability.

In that single moment, three men were cut off from the world, separated and put aside to a dimension of their own. Kyuketsu and Ryoujin had activated a style unique only to the two of them... a style which until now, remained cloaked in secrecy.

A massive dome stretched out to trap Thomas and the two Templars, its entirety forged from lashing winds and burning fires. Separated from his plants and dirt, the human was systematically disarmed and pinned.

Only darkness ruled the enclosure, with streaks of purple spinning every now and again as both Ryoujin and the Acting Captain stood mere feet from their opponent. Kyuketsu, with his sword sealed once more, began to walk closer to the human.


Kyuketsu ~ 1,026
Ryoujin ~ 1,913​


Techs Used

[ Touitsu Sensen ] – "United Front"
In battle, two characters who have spent much time with one another can complement one another's fighting style. They are able to fight better in tandem than alone, receiving a boost to all stats when attacking (except Reiatsu and Connection).

When fighting near each other, skilled allies can easily swap positions to better press their advantage. Such a Bait and Switch will allow the users to instantly change places with a partner within ten feet, once per round. Uses are limited by the pairs, not individuals.

Requirements: At least 20,000 words with written with another player.
Growth
Level 1 (20,000 words) : +5% Combat Stats (Offensive)
Level 2 (24,000 words) : Bait and Switch, 1x per day
Level 3 (28,000 words) : +6% Combat Stats (Offensive)
Level 4 (32,000 words) : Bait and Switch, 2x per day
Level 5 (36,000 words) : +7% Combat Stats (Offensive)
Level 6 (40,000 words) : Bait and Switch, 3x per day
Level 7 (44,000 words) : +8% Combat Stats (Offensive)
Level 8 (48,000 words) : Bait and Switch, 4x per day
Level 9 (52,000 words) : +9% Combat Stats (Offensive)
Max Level (56,000 words) : +10% Combat Stats (Offensive) / Bait and Switch, 5x per day


Fated Tech:
[1] [ Soryukan ] - Twin Dragon Coffin
The bond shared by Kyuketsu and Ryoujin has allowed the two of them to, time and again, trample the odds and stare Death in the eye with arrogant grins painting their faces. Their camaraderie is as fortified and resolute as their swords, and through growth, they have learned to incorporate each other’s abilities to complement one another. By harnessing the elemental properties of Kazeoni, Ryoujin is capable of engulfing the battlefield in a dome composed of gusting winds roughly 50 feet in diameter and 30 feet in height. Kyuketsu can then, with the use of his sword’s destructive potential, embed torrents of spiritual energy into the dome’s lashing winds.

This confined space allows the two fighters to systematically close the gap on an opponent while preventing any method of escape. If an enemy is to touch the walls, the energy detonates and causes damage. This naturally disperses the dome, but if left undisturbed, it will implode in itself after 5 turns, causing damage to anyone (Ryoujin and Kyuketsu included) still trapped inside.

1. To summon the wind dome itself, both Ryoujin and Kyuketsu must pay 1,000 reiatsu each.

2. To empower the force circulating the dome, both men pay a combined cost of 10% (5% each) of their own spirit energies. This same amount is equivalent to how much damage the explosion deals.
 
Thomas stood, momentarily stunned. One moment, they were in the jungle, surrounded by weapons for the crazed advent to use against his numerous enemies. The next, nothing. Well, not nothing exactly, but to him, being trapped in a swirling mass of flame and wind was nothing. He was out of weapons. Out of options. Well, options that would result in the explorer surviving, anyway.

Thomas smiled at the two swordsmen as they approached, crazed and dangerous, his eyes glazed over as the last of his sanity seemed to slip away. It was a contingency he had set in place for just such an occasion, but to actually have to use it snapped what little control he had over his own mind.

"You think you're so clever," he said, not asking but stating a fact. The sociopath placed a hand over his chest, seemingly to brace himself for their imminent attack. "You've cut me off, taken away both my means of attack and escape." He grinned foolishly, his body starting to heave slightly. "In short, you've taken my hope."

Sweat began to bead on his forehead, dripping down his face. His breathing was shallow and his heart raced in his chest. "You're fools. I have nothing left to lose, now. Don't you know? Nothing is more dangerous than a madman who's lost all hope. And you have nowhere to run, either." The killer coughed, blood splattering across his shirt. "See you in hell."

There was a small popping sound as Thomas' ribs began to separate and fall out of place. Then, as the last remnants of life left the man, thirty thick, thorny vines, each filled with poison, all part of a single plant he had implanted and sustained with his powers within his own body for years, erupted from his chest, spreading out and filling the empty space between him and the reapers. It was his parting gift, his last work of art. He would stain the world red one final time.

Final [338/1,783]
​
 
As Thomas's life passed right before their eyes, Ryoujin made a comment about it; however, it was left unheard in the final attack that the human had sent barreling towards them. He had not expected for something like it to happen, especially after how unceremoniously the boy had committed Seppuku before them. He supposed that in the end Thomas's pride as an explorer had gotten the better of him, and rather than inevitably dying by their own hands, they had pushed the Advent so far as to sustain whatever dignity he had left and in the form of vines as well.

Whelp, here goes nothing, the pink-haired youth thought, taking a deep breath.

Whatever was going on outside, he couldn't really tell although it was fairly certain that Picca, Setsuna, and that other girl were fine. Kyuksetu and him, on this side, though had their share of work still cut out for them.

Without wasting anymore time, the dome thrumming with power from the currents of both of the Templar's spiritual pressures suddenly sent forth a slash shockwave in an attempt to repel the vines from reaching either of the swordsmen.​

[ 2100 ]​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Pride, desperation... fear. Whatever it was that truly drove Thomas to his parting farewell, it needed to be given a response—a swift and instantaneous answer that proved dominant in the face of travesty. Ryoujin’s attack slammed against the approaching vines, repelling them as they inched closer for the pair. If the human specialized greatly in the properties and dynamics of botany, then perhaps the same rules applied to his attacks as well. Cutting away a plant’s branches will damage it, but never kill it. If that were the case with Thomas as well, then...

“Ningyo Tsukaiken.”

Kyuketsu’s doppelganger appeared amidst the growing chaos. It held no weapon, no tool in which to give aid. It did, however, serve a higher purpose. It had a brief window of opportunity to end the fight... one that relied solely on the Third Seat’s last strike. Pushing through the brunt of the vines, Kyuketsu commanded the clone to charge, to navigate its way carefully through the lethal shrubbery until it reached the roots: Thomas’ corpse.

The clone pounced upon seeing the carcass, tackling and pushing it against the side of the dome’s wall. It detonated the fiery cage, sending scores of energy to condense and implode over the point of contact. The barrier which surrounded Kyuketsu and Ryoujin receded as it crept swiftly for the mortal’s remains. In one titanic flare, the explorer’s body was set ablaze along with his venom-filled offshoots. The flames continued to purge the madman’s extensions, crackling with consuming vengeance. Before long, with nothing left but ashes and smoke, the last of the embers burned out and died.​


1,295​
 
"Did ye lads dae it?" Picca asked.

The one legged shinigami was trapped between several rocky spikes, with only the arms capable of movement. She maintained a tight grip on one of the spires, preventing her body from going down as much as possible. There was an unpleasant jagged ridge right in between her legs, mere centimeters away from being really bad. An extra bit of lift was given by the Gale Bog exerting spiritual force on the ground.

"If yer done, help wid be nice."

[440]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Quick FYI, my laptop's been having some issues and it's where my main files for these collabs and the like are stored so my turns may be a bit sporadic in upcoming days

Letting out a sigh of relief as the last of Thomas’ vine powers burned to a crisp and died, Setsuna turned his attention to the woman stuck in the earth. Sheathing Senshin, the character on the blade vanishing as he did so, the redhead hopped over a root and slid down an earth spire to reach the woman.

“Hey kid, gimme a hand with this!” Yukiko’s head rose at that and searched for the source of the voice, spotting Setsuna pointing at the stuck Picca. The small blonde hopped over to them and put her hand on one of the spires. In seconds it seemed to pull away from the others at which point, Setsuna grabbed Picca by the arms and pulled her free.

“Woo, you alright there? Good. Now we just need to find a way out of here.”

[140/1,172]​
 
A way out. In that instant, when the dome had shattered and he was finally reunited with those that had been for the most part safe on the outside, Ryoujin stood there, dazed. It wasn't until Setsuna reminded him what their current objective was when he fully registered his bearings.

"Hmm, I can sense three directions that we could go. We could either go back one of the ways we came from, or head towards there," he said, pointing towards a direction that none of them had come from. He couldn't exactly tell if it was north, south, east, or west, because after entering this maze, he had lost all sense of direction to begin with, and truth be told, that was the last thing that crossed his mind anyways.

"It doesn't particularly matter to me where we go."

Shrugging, the pink-haired youth hopped up onto one of the felled trees that had just moments ago come to life. Having resealed his soul slayer and sheathed it back into place, he sat there for a while, preoccupied with trying to tend to the wounds he had endured namely the blisters he had opened up.

Using his teeth to rip out a part of his shihakushou's fabric, Ryoujin wrapped it around both of his hands to seal off some of the stinging sensation that coursed through them. While there was still a considerable amount of pain wracking his body, it was not something of too terrible a concern. Wincing throughout the whole process, he finally looked towards his allies.

"So where do we go from here?"​

[ 2365 ]​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
“Where do we go indeed?” Kyuketsu sheathed his sword as he approached the rest of his group.

The only clear-cut way at that point was straight forward. It didn’t serve any good wallowing around waiting for the next enemy to appear. While the endless streams of battle brought an innate sense of satisfaction in the Acting Captain’s heart, he was still bound to the possibility of dying and burning out. Thomas was the fourth opponent Kyuketsu had to face, and while he lucked out with zero losses so far, there was no telling if his body could take any more punishment. He was willing to fight, that much was clear. Being ‘able,’ however, was a completely different issue. In the fight alone, had the swordsman been at his full strength, he and the Third Seat would not have resorted to using such a powerful skill. Facing off Diega reaped most of his strength, and in the event that someone as strong, if not stronger, appeared... there was no guarantee they’d be able to attain victory.

It wasn’t despair creeping up on Kyuketsu—nothing of the sort. His grievances stemmed solely from logic and reasoning. Regardless of how much the young man romanticized himself within the heat of battle and in the belly of warfare, the fact of the matter was that this cycle had to be halted at some point.

“There were many of us when we left the Soul Society for this mission.” He passed glances from each of his peers. “Our initial plan was to regroup, and while we’ve accomplished that to some extent, there’s simply no possible way to find every single one of our allies in this maze. For all we know, we might be the only ones left... and for all we know, someone else might have already collected all three symbols.”

He brushed his hair back against his head, wiping off the smears of blood and sweat that traced his temple. “My words may or may not be true, but they’re certainly possible. At this point, there’s no benefit struggling to find the rest of our comrades. If we find more, then that’s fine... but now, our number one priority is to find Raifuku’s domain and confront him face-to-face.”

He turned to Ryoujin and glanced at his symbol... then to Picca’s hand, then to Yukiko and Setsuna’s marks. Finishing, he exposed his own brand to the rest of them.

“When we find his domicile, we’re either going to have to find a way to break his game... or actually finish what we started.”

Though he said nothing of it, his intentions remained crystal clear. If they weren’t able to find away to confront Raifuku without killing each other, then the unthinkable must come to pass. Someone among them had to make the sacrifice.​


1,764​
 
"Thank ye, thank ye," Picca said as her foot touched the ground.

She smoothed out the shinigami uniform and patted away the dust and dirt.

Turning to Kyuketsu, Picca noted, "If the game was over, it wid be awfully mean to not to let us out. But I agree, we need to finish this. But I'm still worried about being a participant in his game. Raifuku was prepared enough to not only trap all of us but separate us as well and bring people like Diega." She crossed her arms and her voice became solemn. "Even if we win, I'm afraid that he set up the situation so he wid win as well. Right now, this entire place is in his hands."

[562]
 
The redhead took a look around each of the five hands and frowned. Kyuketsu had two of Raifuku’s three symbols. Good for him but bad for the ones who had the third, namely Ryoujin, Setsuna AND Yukiko in this group. Setsuna looked from the small girl to the pink haired man he’s been with since this game began. He sighed and shook his head.

“I’ll do it,” he stated bluntly, “I can’t say I’m one for self-sacrifice and that crap but I’m not keen on letting that bastard win either.” He grinned and tugged slightly at his scarf. “Just, whoever does it, make it quick.” With that he turned away and moved a couple of paces away. Then he closed his eyes.

[122/1,294]​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
He sighed in agreement with Picca. “Yes, there’s no denying that. Conventional means won’t be enough to bring down this man, especially under these circumstances. I’m not gonna lie Miss Lilli—I’m still not certain what I myself would do if I ever find him. Whether or not I engage him in combat or try and reason with him, I’ve yet to find a suitable approach.”

Kyuketsu then turned his eye to Setsuna. “And you Sir Suzuki... I admire your selflessness, I really do. But as I said, we’ll save that quandary for later until we find this ‘inner sanctum’ Raifuku spoke of. There’s no reason to whittle down our numbers when we don’t even know where we’re supposed to go.”

The Acting Captain flashed three fingers.

“Regardless if any of us attained all three symbols, the... death... of the final donor would be in vain if we don’t first find the entrance. The plan remains the same: we move forward, keep fighting, and do whatever it takes to find the mastermind’s domain. Only then will we start to figure out how to proceed, hopefully in a way that doesn’t involve any of us killing our allies. He said it himself that we shinigami were not the only ones present, and it proved true.” Kyuketsu recalled the brief and somewhat awkward meeting he shared with a human operative not too long ago. “Pray we run into a vizard or a rogue human, if that helps. I’d rather have the blood of a criminal on my hands than that of a dutiful soldier.”

Fixing his attire, the Templar Commander turned away to the clearing in the distance. If there was any exit out that dense jungle, then that was probably it.

“If that’s the end of it, the it’s best we get a move on.”​


2,068 - FINAL​
 
Ryoujin smirked.

"Right, no point in wasting any more time here. Who knows? As we're talking right now, someone might already be close to or might have already found this inner sanctum. And the last thing that I want is for it to wind up being someone who isn't a fellow shinigami."

Having said what he needed, the pink-haired youth headed towards their destination. Sure enough, he could make out the portal that would lead them to the next room, and with the way things had been going, who knew what they would come across on the other side? Another enemy or perhaps a genuine ally this time?

Although he had truthfully started to give up on finding Tsubaki, Kyuketsu's emergence had changed that entirely. Not wanting to get his hopes up on what to expect though, the third seater moved right along. Even if the Acting Captain had justified that it was a foolish move to sacrifice one's self for this cause, if they truly found the door, then there was really no other choice. Though no one outright admitted it, it was understood amongst them, and for that, Raifuku had yet another thing coming to him.​

[ 2563 Final ]​
 
“Right, well, that’s ever so slightly embarrassing,” Setsuna said, turning back around and rejoining the group as the others walked away. Shaking his head, the Ninth Seat simply followed after them.

“If possible, could we kinda forget that bit ever happened?” he asked hopefully, “And wait a sec, I don’t remember telling you my name!” This second part was mostly yelled at Kyuketsu. Yukiko, meanwhile, fell in line behind the redhead, observing the taller man with a slight squint.

Offers himself up to die, no one will forget that any time soon.

ACTUAL FINAL [92/1,386]​
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Current Date in Araevis

Back
Top