[PM] [11th/11th] Week ---: The Prince and the Pauper

[Shun]

Ahhh another time indeed. We'll have to prolong this until another occassion presents itself, he thought to himself, remembering the grandiose beauty that he had come across. What he was currently looking at now though was far from what he would have preferred.

Scrutinizing the soul reaper from overhead, a particularly well-maintained individual jumped down from the arch that he was perched at momentarily, landing gracefully on his feet. Upon closer inspection, one could notice that the man was clad in a fine blue shirt, white pants, and a pair of black boots. Of these features, one of the most distinguishable was the groomed mustache and a silk eye-patch on the right side of his face. His one good eye that was visible for all to see was currently fixated on the Blood Templar. Dramatically as if there wasn't a threat posed in front of him, the man struck a thinking pose and wondered about the situation that was currently at hand. He was fortunate enough to not have crossed paths against a woman, although a part of him had hoped to make it up to that orchid-eyed beauty that he had encountered.

"Omoshiroi, you carry the same demeanor like that brute Michael. You do your predecessors a disservice though by carrying around a hefty mantle like that," the one-eyed nobleman finally said, pointing at the haori that was secured over the Acting Captain's left shoulder. Instead of making anymore remarks about the shinigami's inexperience, the pony-tailed man stood stock still, locking gazes with the enemy and allowing him to make the first move as proper etiquette would dictate.​

[ 269 ]​

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[Wayne]

Whatever transpired from the Captain Commander’s release up to now mattered little. With the sudden emergence of a dozen new figures, Soukyoku Hill, notorious for its legacy of death and execution, was now suddenly brimming with life. The fog that immersed the area was insufferably familiar, though its cast ultimately failed to fully enamor the Acting Captain’s attention. Instead, Kyuketsu poised his vision forward, pinning his sights to a figure rearing in from the mist. The man’s tone was, just like Sandalphon’s, coated in a dye of civility and exalted upbringing. The means in which someone talked revealed subtle details about their personality, some more so than others. This one was unmistakably clear from the first spoken syllable and onwards. His clothing, his mannerisms... the way his single eye traced the features of Kyuketsu’s entire form. This man who bore the same sensation emanating from Raifuku... was a noble.

“Such lofty words coming from an aristocrat.” Kyuketsu scoffed. “It’s a shame that behind such bold accusations, their significance remains erroneously shallow.”

Without hesitation, without second thoughts, the Acting Captain pointed his sword towards the mysterious individual. A slight breeze rolled in between the two combatants as the white haori famed for its legacy billowed gracefully behind Kyuketsu’s shoulders. In a cold, almost seemingly robotic voice, the raptor hissed, “You can compare me to my predecessors or to Michal all day if you want to. I really don’t care. My concerns lie elsewhere...”

Spiritual pressure spun like a torrential vortex around his feet, and without warning, shot outwards like a frosted wave ripping through a shoreline.

“...Like the fact that you’re standing in my way.â​

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[Shun]

Though certainly formidable, the pony-tailed man remained unperturbed by the visible spiritual pressure that was emanating from the other swordsman. Wagging his finger, he smirked. “Ahhh, I don't know if I should be offended that you would compare me to tyrants like aristocrats, but you're ultimately wrong. There is nothing shallow about something that’s true.”

Without wasting anymore time with verbal exchanges and theatrics, the ground beneath him crunched as he took a step forward. Revealing his sword to the Captain, he held it out. Instead of flourishing it or doing anything fancy with the weapon, he quickly spurred into action, launching himself directly at Kyuketsu. With unparalled precision and speed, Ashikaga "Ifuku" Fujiwara's sword came down swiftly upon the man's shoulder.

And like that, the Soukyoku Hill was suddenly brimming with warfare.​

[ 403 ]​

 

[Wayne]

“What would someone like you know about the truth?” A spark glimmered in the Acting Captain’s eyes. “...A relic of the past who no longer holds sway over the present.”

Tenzansatsu flared before the nobleman, its steel ripping through the air as a loud clang shattered the fog-laden battlefield. Sayis’ Ban Kai proved formidable even as they distanced themselves away from him. The Captain Commander’s very presence made the air thicker, heavier. And yet despite the seemingly obstructive nature of his power, its influence nonetheless came off as more motivational than bothersome. Kyuketsu’s sword put his enemy’s advance to a staggering halt, and within that brief nanosecond where their blades locked and fused, his soul clamored to understand. It directed to clarify, to fully comprehend the motive driving the armed blueblood.

“You’re history long passed,” continued the Templar, pushing back against the noble’s charge. “And thus you know nothing.”

Kyuketsu settled his left foot into the ground, affirming its momentum. With his right, he drove his knee for the man’s abdomen, breaking off the tie that held their weapons together. Right then, as he gained leverage away from the individual, a condescending grin traced its way over the Captain’s face. “Let me guess.” He gestured to his haori. “You don’t even know who wore this before me, do you?”

He didn’t wait for a response. Leaping forward, Kyuketsu traced is blade forward once again. Its tip raced for the man’s sternum, swift and vicious in its approach.​

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[Shun]

"Tsk tsk, I don't think so."

With his one good eye, he had predicted the strike before it even came.

"No sway over the present? I'm here now, am I not," he said rhetorically as Tenzansatsu's approach was dealt with instantly. Using his own blade to halt the enemy's, the two locked swords once more, each wanting to overpower the other.

"Who the captain before you was is meaningless to me. It just goes to show that they werent worthy of carrying the weight of that haori," he said over the clash. Instead of trying to force his way through, with nimble and agile movements, Ifuku leapt over the Captain and sent a flurry of strikes towards the man even at his current prone position. When it seemed like the barrage of slashes would never cease, Ifuku's presence seemed to have vanished entirely. In a startling movement, the noble seemed to be running away as he transitioned back into reality on the other side.

His destination? The edge of Soukyoku Hill.​

[ 574 ]​

OOG

so sorry this is so late. Doing this over my phone. Wc to come later, and since life is getting less hectic again, I should be able to get turns in a more timely manner. Ps: hope kyuketsu likes giving chase!

 

[Wayne]

Kyuketsu and the nobleman had matched each other’s swordplay steel for steel. And yet when it seemed that their collision began to brew further into the recesses of madness, the man clad in azure leaped away closer to execution hill’s pointed precipice. Meanwhile, amongst the others going about their own duels, a familiar scent of reiatsu wafted into the Acting Captain’s senses. It appeared as though Uchiharu had released his full strength along with that of the Captain Commander’s. The very ground shook from the pressure of the amassed spiritual energy, much so that doing war in such a confined space made it all the more lethal should friendly fire come to pass.

Chasing after his quarry, the raptor lunged once more, his blade held high as its tip raced for the target’s neck. Should a little bit of luck carry into his favor, Kyuketsu might just be able to push the bastard off the cliff and into the buildings far below.

“Meaningless... to you?” Kyuketsu sneered haughtily at his foe. “Powerful words coming from someone whose name and face mean nothing to me.”

But then he paused.

The Templar stopped entirely, ceasing his attack as he lowered his blade to the ground. Then he smirked... a smirk vilified by seething venom, corroded by an unforeseen orchestra of insanity and bloodlust. Kyuketsu’s eyes sharpened in view of the patrician, each haunting golden orb warping into the slit-sighted form of a viper’s predatory gaze.

“So thus, enlightened me then, oh nobleman in blue. Impart me these two questions so I may further understand your bullshit-bound logic. Who are you exactly...?” He stalled as his smile grew even wider. His voice lowered to a cold, robotic whisper, grazing ever so menacingly against the edges of the man’s hearing. “...And what is it you fear the most?â​

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[Shun]

Laced with a venom that only he could decipher beneath the words, the nobleman only continued trying to evade his opponent whilst the questions fell on deaf ears. It was easier said than done though.

“My my, what’s with the sudden change of heart? If my name means nothing to you, then there is no reason for me to tell you who I am.”

Before he could even distance himself far away enough from the other battles and at least feign like he was even mulling over Kyuketsu’s questions, the ground beneath him began to rumble. Eyes widening, he watched as out of nowhere, a grove of trees shot up, perhaps from the release of a Bankai wielder nearby. So caught off guard he was that he hadn’t even registered the incoming strike.

As Kyuketsu’s last attack came dangerously close to grazing him, Ifuku sighed with relief as the blade’s descent was halted by the bark of one of the trees that now encompassed Soukyoku Hill.

“You’re quite the master swordsman I’ll give you that,” Ifuku complimented, as he shot forward in a blur. “With that though, I would have thought you would have understood that wasting your breath is meaningless.”

From above the Captain, Ifuku pointed his finger down at him.

“Way of Binding, Number Seventeen, Earthen Maw!” he exclaimed, tendrils shooting forth and attempting to ensnare Kyuketsu’s arms and legs.​

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OOG

Taking into account the release of Haresuno's bankai in the thread he's in.

 

[Wayne]

Kyuketsu shook his head, disappointed with the lack of answers given by his foe. The nature in which the nobleman responded was no surprise given his status, former or otherwise. The man’s heightened level of arrogance that sated his every word, and the pompous air which gave a feeling of dejection to slither through his lips—all that would have seemed threatening, if it wasn’t just so damn pathetic.

As the Acting Captain braced for another attack, he took note of the released spell which dared to constrict his movements. For a moment, a blank, if not uncaring look washed over the swordsman’s eyes. He cleaved apart the tendrils reaching for his arms, though allowed, without struggling, for his footing to become entrenched. Stuck in place, he shrugged, looking back at his opponent.

He raised an eyebrow, appearing rather discontent at his current state. Tilting his head to the side, the Templar asked, “...Is that it?”

Lowering his sword, he lightly tapped its tip against the hardened soil. “If you’re not going to entertain my questions, then you might as well show me what you’re really capable of. This sorry excuse of a spell just won’t cut it, I’m afraid.”

The pressure around the Acting Captain grew, so much so that the nearby trees that surrounded Kyuketsu began to tremble and shift. He sighed, and then carried on, “Should I cut you up into tiny little pieces with my sword... or should I burn your organs and flesh to dust? I can’t decide just yet. Both sounds good, but then again, I would like to use my kidou too. Whatever the case, I’m stuck in your spell. What are you going to do now, Nameless Nobleman?â​

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