THE CRIMSON EDGE ARC: The Breach [Event Three] [CLOSED]

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

The Tower was on the move; he'd been so since the previous day. He had some small delays to his leaving, mostly when his Division had contacted him about the fact that both his Vice-Captain and Third Seat were currently MIA. They were believed to have been in the vicinity of Pillar 8. He'd had to change his orders, and then he'd set out once again. He had been forced to be reserved early in his journey, to step lightly. Kaito had a lot of power, in more than one sense of the word, and while he traveled through the populated Rukongai he had to keep a tight leash on it. Out in the White there wasn't so much to worry about, one could simply go and you would detect anything long before you came across it. Here though, if he did that, people would be hurt and buildings would be broken.

Once he cleared the populated area though he let loose. Kaito was known for his strength and endurance, and he'd had millennia to refine his knowledge. He wasn't one to use Shunpo in combat often, because he'd instead learned how to use it to cover great distances in a single stride. To do so without wasting much energy. While others might use it as a step, it would be safer to say Kaito used it as a bound. He fed his anger and worry into the physical exertion, falling into what you might call a loping stride with his steps. One could feel his passing for miles around as he made his way for the breach; he did not care to be cautious or circumspect. Let them know he was coming, the smart ones would flee back to their dessert. There was more than mere display to this though; the act of 'running' as it were let him clear his mind from the anger and worry. The channel it into something that could be shaped and put to use.

He came to a stop at the top of a hill, one of a few in the area, and got his first true look at The Breach. It was striking in its absence, made all the more so by just how long Kaito had seen it exist. A simple stretch of ground where the Soul Society ended and the sands of the White Desert began. Far off, miles in either direction one could see the Crimson Edge begin again, fading once more into existence. He allowed his gaze to linger for only a handful of seconds, his shock to keep him in place for only a few more. His gaze shifted, out past where the Edge once stood into the desert beyond. From this vantage he could just make out three figures, barely more than shadows against the desert. They stood opposite the small fort that sat on another hill, once the location of a crossing. One couldn't simply walk through the Edge after all, so small forts like this had been established long ago to house the points where one could cross. The mirrored structure that would have sat on the other side of the edge was nowhere in sight.

He took another step, arriving in the courtyard of fort with more impact than he'd intended. He looked around at the few Shinigami who were standing at guard here. They looked tired, and more than a little startled at his sudden appearance. No doubt some of them had felt him approaching, but they hadn't expected his arrival in such a manner it seemed.
“Report,” he said simply, his voice cracking the stunned silence. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his hand coming to rest on the hilt of his Zanpaku-tou. His senses were sharp, waiting for the Arrancar to make their move. He hoped he could find out what was happening before the battle began.

THE CRIMSON EDGE ARC: The Breach [Event Three] [CLOSED] XXvBaTrW_o

There wasn't a soul in this society that didn't feel the world shake. There were then very few that didn't feel the aftermath approaching. When it started, Izayoi brought her closest friends into battle. Hollows began rushing their way. Rin Sakamoto led the evacuation, getting the villagers to the caves in the mountains while she and Raia fought off the coming onslaught of monsters. Naohana arrived toward the end to guarantee victory. They couldn't save everyone. Some were grabbed, eaten, and even taken. A couple minor level Arrancar made an appearance to defend the hollow that ended up fleeing after they had their fill. This behavior was disturbing. It seemed that monsters were learning their versions of teamwork and even sacrifice. These were not behaviors that anyone wanted to see coming from Arrancar and Hollow. However, for now, that would be put on the back burner.

"Naohana. What happened?" Izayoi asked her friend.

"There is an actual breach in the Crimson Edge. The Arrancar attacked from the other side and the Gotei are on the move." Naohana explained to both of the women in front of her. "I don't know much beyond the Mikazuki being told to stay out of their way... We are also being told to evacuate. There was no order to help the Gotei, but I can't say sitting back and watching them fight for our side of the Edge makes much sense... I'm going."

"I understand. I am too." Izayoi glanced back to Raia, ready to offer her a spot. "I'd prefer you here, helping Rin."

Raia thought for just a fraction of a moment, then nodded. "It's the best option. If it gets too hairy... just come back safe. The Gotei will be better equipped to handle a large-scale invasion."

"Alright. Move." Izayoi said. She and Naohana turned their way toward the breach, following the path of hollows and the strange sensation that comes from the hole in the Edge. It did not take them long to get there. Upon arrival, the two strangers appeared to the Gotei members by shunpo and looked around. A few eyes were on them, but that was easily ignored.

"Who is in charge here?" Izayoi called out over the crowd.

It took a while for the dust to settle. When it did, Sora's head was pounding and his ears were still ringing. He laid in the sand, looking around and taking way too long to regain his composure. People of his squad were screaming or running around in a panic. He could barely feel his body, but somehow pushed himself to sitting up. One of his squad members rushed up to him, yelling something, but he couldn't hear him over the loud ringing. After a few moments, they gave up and ran off. Sora's eyes followed them to a familiar body lying on the ground, broken and mostly torn through. "Lieutenant!" he shouted, unable to hear his own voice. He stood up, realizing he was lucky enough to be uninjured, besides whatever possible head injuries, and ran over to Ryoga. The Lieutenant was unconscious, the Captain absent, and so it fell to him.

Sora looked up as an army of hollow began charging them. He looked back toward his men and his heart sank. It wasn't the many injuries, dead, or the fear he saw. Instead, it was the massive gap in the barrier that protected the Soul Society. "Wh-Wh-What?" He could barely get the word out as another one of his squad members grabbed his shoulder and began asking him something. Sora shook his head, closed his eyes, and a few moments later, he could hear again. "Third Seat Rokuda. What do we do?" "Uh... I..." Sora heard the hollows getting closer and focused. "EVERYONE. GET THE LIVING INSIDE THE WALL. LEAVE THE DEAD. WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THEM. GET THE LIEUTENANT FIRST. THE REST OF YOU, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO HOLD THIS LINE." With orders given, people began to move, taking on jobs they knew they were to do even before something like this happened. Sora pulled out his zanpakuto and released his shikai as the army of hollow approached.

"WE WILL HOLD THIS LINE." Sora shouted and the battle began.

The few members they had would never hold that line and Sora knew that. They fought hard and kept protecting the injured and being pushed back into the barrier. Sora chose to rely mostly on kido, but it was depleting his energy more than he liked, so he stopped. The few survivors ended up in a shield, only fighting off those who got too near. Most of the hollow ran by them and into the Soul Society, assuming to cause chaos everywhere. As time went by, the group was astonished to see what was happening next. Over time, however, things calmed down and the war zone that is the breach felt more like a graveyard. It was a relief to everyone when Captain Toma arrived. When Kaito arrived, his Third Seat was facing toward the breach, looking up to the hill where three Arrancar stood. It took Sora hearing his Captain demand a report to get him to change his focus.

"They've just been standing there since it began." Sora said as if this fact annoyed him the most. He took a deep breath and looked to his Captain, one arm wrapped around himself. He was obviously hurt, but not horribly. "Lieutenant Ryoga is down. He is severely wounded. Somehow, he was able to save most of our squad from the blast, but the amount of damage he has taken is... worrying. I'm not sure if he'll make it. Even so, the attack was sudden. We did not see it coming. Once the Edge was broken, an army of hollow and Arrancar rushed the opening. We tried fighting them off, only to lose more. We were able to get back into the barrier and continued fighting, but many of them ignored us. After some time... they... Captain, they fled. The hollows that came in ran right back out. Some had innocent people in their clutches. There were at least a thousand. And them... Those Arrancar on the hill. They just watched, waiting for something. I don't know... We need to get the Lieutenant to the Fort-."

The arrival of two women cut Sora short. He did not recognize either of them, but they both held a significant amount of power. When they called out to the one in charge. "Glad you're back, Captain." Sora said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Third Seat Sora Rokuda spoke up when he ordered a report; it was about as troubling as he expected to be honest, though not for the same reasons he expected. Hollow's rushing the breach was exactly what he had been worried about. The fact they'd flooded in right after voiced the organization he had voiced concerns about to the Captain Commander a few weeks prior. This was certainly confirmation of that much at least, as there was no doubt in his mind that the Hollows had an organization to them. And undoubtedly the Arrancar were the core of it. The news that the Hollows had ignored the fighting Shinigami to go after and abduct others inside the wall was concerning as well. He kept his thoughts to himself as the Third Seat continued his report.

As Sora gave his report though Kaito felt two other energies approaching the fort. They weren't Arrancar or Hollow signatures, nor were they anyone he recognized from the Gotei. The arrival of the two women got the attention of those who had gathered up since Kaito's arrival. Most of them seemed to almost ignore the new arrivals, but Kaito's eyes were on them as they got their bearings and spoke up. Sora cracked a small joke, and Kaito gave him a small, tight smile. The big man placed a hand on Sora's shoulder for a moment.
“At ease Third Seat Rokuda. You've done well,” he said as he started forward towards the new arrivals. They were the most comforting words he could think of in this moment, because the situation they faced was grim.
“That would be me,” he called out to the two women. He turned his attention to the crowd that had gathered. They looked to him, the stress and fear set deep in their eyes.
“Stand to people! Reinforcements are on the way! The Eleventh has mobilized and is on their way, along with reinforcements from the rest of the Divisions in one capacity or another. We're going to hold this point until they arrive. You've all done admirably up until now; keep it up just a little longer. I'm here with you until the end of all of this,” he called out in a clear voice. Even in this dire circumstance there was a confidence and power in his tone. One way or another he meant it, he was here until the end of it.

He turned his attention back to the two women once more. “I take it you're from the Mikazuki? You've come to help?” he asked, his tone pointedly and carefully neutral in his questioning.

Though he was playing it off, Sora did not go uninjured when trying to hold the line. He was pretty sure he had two broken ribs and had taken a hit to the head. Since he didn't fall unconscious, he was choosing to ignore it for now. He walked up behind his Captain as the two strangers were spoken to, but stayed silent as he turned is back to watching the Arrancar. He was listening to the conversation behind him, but he was not ready to turn his back on the enemy for too long.

"No, I'm not from the Mikazuki." Izayoi said. "However, I am." Naohana added. "Either way, we are both here to assist you in anyway we can." Izayoi reassured, her words implying she would follow Kaito's lead. "This is Izayoi and I am Naohana. My skills lie in long range combat, mostly kido. My zanpakuto could not help here." Naohana placed her hand on her chest as a gesture of motioning to herself and then motioned toward Izayoi. "My friend is good at close and medium range combat, mostly physical."

"When are we gonna attack? Are we gonna attack? Why am I here if we're not going to attack?" Aoi asked, stomping her feet angrily in the sand. "Shut up, Aoi. You're pissing me off." Kurai snapped at the younger Arrancar, who quickly glared back at her. "Don't tell me what to do." Aoi said. "I'm bored. I wanna fight something. I'm hungry. I wanna eat." "I couldn't care less what you want. Shut your fucking mouth before I break your jaw." Kurai threatened. "Try it! Papa'll just kill you."

"Whoa, no, no, no. I will not. And what the fuck is this 'papa' shit?" Kiyomaru pulled Aoi back away from Kurai and sat her down in the sand. "Now, will you two shut up? You know why we're waiting here." Kiyomaru rolled his only viewable eye and looked back down to the breach. "Look, here comes another wave. Get ready. With that big bastard back in play, we might not be able to stand around here anymore..." A moment later, a large number of hollow began to make their appearance within the walls of the Soul Society. At glance, it looked like three to four hundred were rushing the breach in order to escape back into the endless desert, each of them carrying living people with them, though many were hurt and unconscious. "Get ready to act. You got that so-called Captain, right?" Kiyomaru asked. "Yeah, he's mine." Kurai smirked, her eyes focused on Kaito, a fiery excitement igniting in them.

Posts : 261 Join date : 2018-07-01

"I believe that's her way of calling you a 'sugar daddy.'" Gantain arrived just in time. Well, to him at least. He could have been here long before. He just didn't want to. There were far more important things to do than stand in sand and look at a hole. One of those things was making sure that what caused the hole didn't destroy their home. He and his mindless assistants were able to get the weapon reeled back in control. Once that was done, he decided to see how effective it was.

"The weapon's structure is already degrading. We can get one more use out of it safely. After that, the chances of it backfiring increase exponentially."Gantain leaned on his cane, watching the Hollows amass. His expression was almost that of boredom. It had worked. The hole was a bit smaller than expected, but it was still within his margin of error. "Yes, yes go and fight him. If anyone else of any consequence arrives, I might step in. Kaito Touma is far from... interesting, so I have no want to fight him."

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Kaito gave a nod as Naohana and Izayoi answered his question and noted their capabilities. His eyes shifted from the pair as another figure appeared with the Arrancar in the distance. It seemed the force there was growing; did they have more reinforcements on the way? Why wait though? That question didn't get to remain unanswered for too long; the flood of Hollows appeared in the distance, making haste for the breach with their cargo in tow. Kaito narrowed his eyes before turning his head to look once more over the forces they had assembled here.

If the Arrancar intervened, there was little his men could do about it. Though they were trained to deal with arrancar in some capacity, and more than most Divisions were trained in fighting multiple enemies at once, the strength of those arrancar was beyond them even before you took into account the massive force of Hollows. With his Vice-Captain in critical condition and his Third Seat worn out, there wasn't much backup other than his two surprise guests. Those odds weren't much in their favor.

A sudden fierce grin split his features; when were the odds ever in their favor? He turned back to his men, and his voice boomed out over the couryard.
“We hold this line, and we show these monsters what happens when you invade our homes! You all, focus your efforts on stopping that tide of Hollows. Save those they've captured as top priority; try and use bakudou and barriers to contain the Hollows before eliminating them. Bring anyone you save back here. I'll cover you,” he called, before turning his attention to Naohana and Izayoi. “You both have a better sense of your capabilities than I; I leave where you choose to engage the enemy to you. They'll assist you however they can, and I would ask the same courtesy from you to them. We all are fighting for our homes today, so let's leave our differences off this battlefield,” he said, his voice pitched to carry over those assembled. There was the tone that those who failed to do this would have to answer to Kaito later.

With those orders given, Kaito turned fully towards the Arrancar.
“Their will be stories told of this day; make them ones you're proud of!” he called as he drew his sword. Then he simply vanished, taking another large Shunpo. He appeared again, feet sinking into the sands of Hueco Mundo just beyond the line where the Edge had once stood. The deep sands of the White Dessert didn't hinder him as he started walking forward towards the Arrancar.
“Very gracious of you all to wait so patiently. I hope you'll find my hospitality worth the wait,” Kaito called, the same fierce grin on his face. In his tone though was a carefully tempered anger, and the unmistakable threat of violence. Then again, whenever Hollow and Shinigami met violence was sure to follow.

Kaito's words were like music to Kurai's ears. The more he spoke, the more excited she got. Kiyomaru took that moment to pick Aoi up, throw the child over his shoulder, and walk about thirty feet away from the fiery rocket that was about to take off. "Patiently? Yeah, you can call it that." Kurai was down on all fours, ready to charge at any moment. It was a creepy sight, especially with the wide-eyed expression that focused on Kaito like an incoming nuclear strike. "Alright, King. Get to it." Kurai said and charged forth. The moment of movement happened extremely quick. The speed caused a loud cracking sound as some of the sand beneath Kurai's feet was super heated into crystallized forms. A fraction of a moment later, she was in front of Kaito, her fist balled and glowing with flame and fury as she immediately went for a strong blow to the large man's center mass. Their battle had begun...

As the dust from Kurai's charge began to clear, Kiyomaru carried Aoi around the battle field and straight toward the Edge's opening. He moved quickly, surfing along the sand on his large anchor. "Kid. Go have fun." Kiyomaru said and threw her into the air up and over the group of struggling Shinigami. He hopped off of his anchor and lifted into the air. He struck the ground and energy released out in front of him, moving along the ground in the form of a wave. Sand and earth raised and moved toward the edge like a tsunami. The earth shook and rolled under everyone, making it hard to stand and collapsing any buildings in the way. Shinigami scattered, running away from the building that housed them as they fell. A few who could not move or could not be moved were caught in the collapse.

"No! Damn it! Leave them alone!" Sora shouted angrily as he held up his zanpakuto, ready to battle. "Are you positive you can battle in your condition?" Izayoi asked as she held out her zanpakuto. "Drain them... Kenkouka." Izayoi said to release her shikai, her outfit changing to something quite a bit more risque, gaining a blindfold, and two long chains as weapons. "I can fight just fine." Sora said. He was lying, but he was going to fight anyway. "Naohana, protect the injured. Lieutenant, it would be smart for you to help her. I'll handle these two."

"Haha. You think you can handle both of us?" Aoi giggled excitedly. "I doubt you could handle me, so you definitely couldn't handle me and Papa." "Will you stop calling me that?" Kiyomaru grabbed Aoi by the neck and squeezed. "You sound stupid, so unless you want to give up your room, shut it." "Y-Yes. S-So-rry." Aoi struggled to speak until Kiyomaru let her neck go. "Now, I'll handle the blind one. You go take care of those other two." Kiyomaru ordered and Aoi immediately complied. "Oh, no you don't." Izayoi went to attack Aoi as she ran by, but Kiyomaru stepped in front of her. Since the blindfold only blocked her eye abilities, she could see just fine. "Oh, don't do that. Let's, you and me, have a nice fight." Kiyomaru said. With an attack from Kiyomaru and a dodge from Izayoi, the two of them ended up in battle as Aoi confronted Naohana and Sora together. She kept trying to attack the other Shinigami, using some invisible force to keep them in the area, but Naohana and Sora were holding her off well.

Meanwhile, the incoming horde of hollow, carrying hundreds of souls, were finally making it to the Edge. Many charged through, though some were being handled by the rest of the Division. While Sora and Naohana concentrated on keeping Aoi away from the Division members, the Shinigami concentrated on freeing the souls from the hollow.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Kaito took note of how the Arrancar moved, of who didn't, and of the one that was fixated on him. It certainly seemed like there had been a trap sized for him, and walking out here had sprung it. He just couldn't bring himself to care much about that though. There was little preamble as the confrontation began in earnest; Kaito's eyes shifted towards the one Kurai refered to as King before snapping back to her as she shot towards him. He shifted his stance slightly as she closed and launched her attack; the heat and force kicked up the sand and dust around them as her fist impacted. Then there was a shift in the dust, and against Kurai's fist, as something large shifted in the dust cloud. Kaito had caught the attack against his left arm, and now he swung it out as he moved to force her arm out to open her up. At the same time he stepped forward with his right, and brought his right fist forward in and underhand punch, almost like an uppercut but going out instead of up. The goal was to catch her in her sternum and send her flying back and away to make distance. Kaito had an idea of Kurai's personality from the opening interaction and attack. From the way she held herself. And most importantly, from the look in her eyes. He knew from her attack that she was dangerous.

Kaito spun around and away from Kurai, towards the oncoming wave of Hollows and the chaos going on behind him. As he did his sword, still in his right hand, pulsed and changed shape. He did not bother with any call out, there wasn't time for the dramatics. In a moment Hametsu had taken its shape, and Kaito lashed out with a quick punch from his left hand. As he did a small bead of energy shot out, flying nearly sixty meters from him before detonating in a large explosion in the path of the Hollows. Kaito couldn't reach them from where he stood, and he didn't want to hit them anyway. He wanted to slow them, to give the other a moment to regroup and redouble their efforts. It was a distraction as he turned a thirty meter wide area into glass and ash.

It was also bait for his real opponent. He stepped forward once more with his right foot, effectively putting a little more distance between himself and Kurai. Almost as though he was leaving after turning his back on her. He expected that she'd charge him, out of anger or pride or simply the hunger for a fight. His own trap, laid and baited. He spun with that step, pivoting and bringing all his strength into the right-handed punch that followed. Unlike the last one, this punch came from above and angled down, as though he aimed to drive Kurai down into the dirt and sand. It wasn't just the punch however. Kaito unleashed another Ruinous Wave from Hametsu, releasing a cone shaped blast that turned the area ahead of him into more glass and ash. Kaito was not one to relent in a fight either; if Kurai was unlucky enough to get caught by the blast and remain in range, he'd swing with his left and unleash another as he closed the distance towards her.

For the duration of the fighting portions of this thread, the action between Sora, Iazyoi, Aoi, and Kiyomaru are part of the background. Naohana protecting the injured will also be in the background. Somewhere during this, Lieutenant Midori Hayashi showed up to help with the injured. The focus will continue to be the battle between Kurai and Kaito until things change.

The dust cleared and Kurai's punch had been caught. She scowled and her fist was thrown upwards, and before she could react, he punched her and sent her back. She ended up in the sand, the force burying most of her body. Anger rose within her and with a clenched jaw, she looked back to Kaito to see he had turned his back on her. "Do not turn your back on me." She shouted, jumping back to her feet and launching herself at him, her fingers extended like claws, nails grown sharp.

It was a bait. Kaito tried slowing the onslaught of hollow by blocking their way, but none of them slowed. They either got hit, which caused souls to be caught in the crossfire as well, ran through the aftermath of the blast, or weren't close enough and kept going anyway. As Kurai closed the distance Kaito made, her attempt at another attack was prevented when he suddenly turned toward her and launched another, more powerful, strike. This time, it was aimed above her in an attempt to send her down into the sand. Unfortunately for the Shinigami, he wasn't hitting her this time.

Kurai moved out of the way of his punch by dropping her body into a twist and throwing herself off to the side. She expected the oncoming blast after she was able to watch him do it moments before, so she gave herself some distance. The explosion went of and the fire came toward her. Unsure if she'd be able to control his fire, Kurai took the time in her movement to summon some of her own and surround her body like a shield. When the dust cleared, like before, she stood there with a smirk on her face. "Sneaky, sneaky, shinigami." she chuckled and tilted her head as smoke began rising off her. "Okay then. If that's how you want to play it..."

"Fight. Fire. With. Fire." Kurai's eyes widened and in a moment, an blast of highly heated hair exploded outwards. Fire moved within it, burning anything within 100 feet of her location. Normally, those within fifty feet would be blown back from her, but with Kaito's strength, he may be able to stand his ground. However, at all times, within thirty feet of her, the air is hot enough to scorch most people. Kurai now stood in red and black clothing that looked mostly burnt off with a sword in her hands. With no more words, Kurai charged with her enhanced physical abilities and swung her sword downward at Kaito's shoulder, holding the weapon with two hands to apply more force. If hit, the blade would attempt to cut his arm off. If not, she'd immediately react with a second attack, swinging the blade horizontally toward his left side to cut the man in half. She too was relentless.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Kurai proved more nimble than Kaito had first guessed as she altered her course, diving and evading the blast from Kaito. He noted that she seemed to draw in some of the heat from his attack, and given the nature of her opening attack on him it painted the beginnings of a picture for him. He would have to adjust accordingly. He shifted his stance and faced her again as she rose. She spoke, and he anticipated an attack; he may have been able to hold his ground, but he had already jumped backwards out of the range of the flames as the sense of power rushed out. Kurai's appearance changed, and she gained a large weapon to go with her not insignificant strength. It seemed she intended to put it to use. She rushed forward towards him, covering the distance quicker than before; it seemed her release increased her physical abilities as well. He guessed there would be a fire elemental component to it as well, given the fight so far.

As she closed, Kaito made a move that gave him two course of action. He moved his left hand in a short jabbing motion. In doing so he projected the point of an explosion out, but it didn't detonate immediately. It detonated just behind and below Kurai as she closed in on him. If she was off the ground, Kaito hoped to launch her farther up and towards him. If that happened he'd step in and to the side to avoid the swinging blade and throw a bone-shattering punch upward, aiming to impact in her stomach and send her up into the sky. He wouldn't bother with another explosion yet from that attack. He was unsure exactly what her heat powers did or how they reacted with the explosions from Hametsu, so he'd exercise some caution in that area.

If she had been on the ground when the explosion when off then it wasn't likely she'd be sent considerably into the sky. To adjust for that, instead of aiming for a punch Kaito would aim to make use of her surprising increase in momentum and aim to simply shoulder-tackle her as she came at him. It was possibly, likely even, that she'd land some style of cut on him, but it wasn't likely to have all of the power it normally would given that she'd be earlier in the swing and potentially caught by an oncoming wave of muscle in Kaito's shoulder-tackle. He'd seek to follow up that shoulder check with a another huge right handed punch, this time aiming for the arrancar's head.

Kurai was on the ground when the explosion went off. The heat created by it absorbed into her, doing no damage. The force, however, did push her forward. Kaito's movement caused the two to collide, but it was a collision between Kurai's blade and Kaito's shoulder. At this distance, Kaito could see a change in her eyes. The madness that was once there was gone. Instead, she looked calm and focused. She kept trying to push further in to force the blade deeper into the wound, but the resistance she was met with was impressive.

Kaito went in for a punch, his massive fist aiming at her head. Instead of pulling back like most do, as it came around to strike her, Kurai tilted her head in and leaned toward him. This movement allowed her to dodge the punch, but barely as it flew passed the back of her head. Their faces were less than an inch apart at this point, her eyes focused directly onto his. She shot her hand up to the back edge of her blade and with all of her strength, she pushed forward into him in an attempt to deepen the wound. As this was done, fire began to form in a cyclone around them, coiling up and creating a sort of fire cage. "Kaito. You're proving worth my time."

Kurai slid her hand down the blade and back to the handle in one swift motion. Gripping the weapon with both hands again, she pulled it back from his shoulder and immediately moved to swing again. This time, Kurai's blade erupted in flame, causing the flame around them to react and quicken in the coiling cage around them. She swung the blade in a diagonal from his wounded shoulder down to his other side. She wasn't attempted to cut him in half, but cause a large gash along his torso. With a flourish of the weapon, she spun it over her head and repeated the attack, this time from the other direction and with an extra amount of force she had not used.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Kurai and her blade collided with Kaito and her blade found purchase, if only shallowly. There was a change in demeanor with his opponent, a focusing of attention that he had long ago known to associate with danger when dealing with a strong opponent. When you were strong enough to live your life focusing on many things, it made the times when you focused on only one important. His punch was dodged as Kurai ducked forward, inside his guard. She spared a few words then, in that moment of clarity; they may have been better used in striking.

Despite appearance, Kurai had not managed to slip inside his guard as she may have expected. Rather than pull his arm back from the missed attack, Kaito pivoted his body to further extend the arm while he bent his knees and dropped down. At the same time he made a sweeping motion with his left, tearing the blade out of the wound in his shoulder. Then the trap sprung, as Kaito's arms closed like a vise on the Arrancar. While Kaito was considered to be a terrifying striker in terms of fighting, primarily on account of his immense size and strength, his truest strength was in using that strength to grapple his opponents. His arms wrapped around the Arrancar as he rose up, picking her up and holding her in a tight bearhug. Kurai radiated heat, and it was certain that he'd need to be patched up after this, but Kaito was used to relying on his own power and durability to shrug off pain while he waded in for the finish.

“I hope you found your time wisely invested then,” he said, and then he began to squeeze. Some from both sides of the Edge might have been able to write off the stories of Kaito's hold being either a piece of common sense because of his size or exaggeration of myth. Kurai would find herself in the rare position to know the truth of those stories. Kaito had strength, he had strength to spare; here and now he put it to use as he applied pressure around Kurai's back and chest, literally aiming to crush her this embrace. She'd hear the grind and creak of her bones in his ears as the wind was pushed from her lungs. Safe to say, for this Arrancar who stood as one of the strongest in all the White Desert, this was likely both a new and terrifying experience. For Kaito's part, holding onto what amounted to an angry fire struggling for its life was not what he'd call a pleasant experience either.

Then things changed. The heat flowing around them shifted direction, flowing in towards her. Kaito could feel as the temperature around them suddenly began to drop, as ice began to appear along the ground and his himself, and as the Arrancar in his arms began to burn even hotter. He knew what this was, could feel it coming at its source. Kurai began to push back and out as her body began to physically expand and as the heat intensified. Kaito was nothing if not persistent though. He widened his stance and bent all his strength inward, his muscles bulging as he attempted the impossible. Kurai was attempting a new transformation, a return to his true physical form, and Kaito pitted his strength against that, attempting to physically restrain her and crush her before he could accomplish it. His own power bore down and lashed against hers, marring the ground. For a single crystalline moment it almost looked like Kaito was going to succeed.

Kaito was strong, but what made him one of the most dangerous was that he knew his limits. He felt the moment when he lost this clash, and knew that he wasn't going to be able to contain whatever was going to come next. He swiveled then and suddenly let go, shoving the glowing Arrancar back. Something erupted, throwing him back towards the Breach. He kept upright, landing and sliding with a knee on the ground. That clash was over, but as he looked back up at his opponent the fight as a whole had simply moved to a new stage; it wasn't over yet.

THE CRIMSON EDGE ARC: The Breach [Event Three] [CLOSED] TBoEEGXR_o

Kaito’s arms closed around Kurai like a bear trap snapping down on an ankle. It was quick and unexpected. No one ever had the courage to so casually enter her heat wave. Getting this close was unheard of. He squeezed, his enormous arms coiling around her like a python. She naturally tensed, her body fighting back against the grapple. “Let me go.” Kurai spoke calmly, angrily. Her eyes focused on his. Then the pressure hit a certain threshold, and she shook under it. Kurai clenched her jaw down hard, baring her teeth. The pain set in and she fought harder, her head leaning back away from this monstrous strength. It was obvious he had no intention of letting her go; however, it became obvious she couldn’t just pop out of his grasp through brute strength alone. In this form, he was stronger than her…

Inside her head, she could hear the creaking of her bones under his strength. She could feel them bending to his grip and then one cracked. "Ah, hell yeah. It finally popped...” she thought in a moment of relief, but then another cracked. “Ah, shit. That shouldn't have popped.” Kurai’s body started smoking, and her body temperature rose rapidly. The surrounding air, however, was cooling down just as rapidly as the heat from it was being absorbed into her. Ice formed on Kaito’s back and on the floor. Her body bulged and shifted and enlarged. Her transformation pushed against his strength. For a few moments, Kurai felt her own transformation being held back. She pushed back harder, pulling in more heat. Ice formed farther and farther away for each second he restrained her. Finally, she won the battle of strength between the two and transformed.

Kaito also saw this coming. He gave himself the chance to throw her as far as he could. Kurai let out a shrieking scream that could be heard for miles. In mid air, Kurai transformed, and that scream changed into an intense ear-piercing roar. She landed inside a massive cloud of sand, smoke, and fire that enveloped her. As it cleared, a colossal dragon stood on the battlefield, its size on the scale of a large cruise ship. Kurai took one step back to solidify her stance and then reared her head back. When she pushed forward, her mouth opened and a tremendous burst of fierce flame shot forward in a wave of destruction and heat. The power could take over the battlefield in the instant it was cast, burning anyone caught in it to ash.

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In his time the Towering Captain had seen much of what the enemy from beyond the Edge could do. He had seen all of the weapons they could bring to bear against his kind and their own. He was possibly one of the best informed Shinigami alive, in a practical sense, of exactly what Hollows and Arrancar could do. It was exceedingly rare to encounter an Arrancar, and even rarer to encounter one who possessed what Kurai unleashed now on this battlefield. The second release of an Arrancar; a Segundo Etapa. In all his years, he had never witnessed something quite like this however. The eruption sent him flying back, but he kept upright. Kurai screamed and that scream grew and grew until he could feel it in his bones, until the stone of the little outpost shuddered and the rubble of the previous building shifted. Even the sands of the great White Desert seemed to recoil at the noise. Ice had formed and steam danced in the air with smoke and dust. Yet through all of that something rose up. A great beast of scale and heat and fury. For a moment, Kaito stood still in awe and shock.

Then Kurai sighted on him, and he could well guess what came next. She reared back. Behind him stood the ongoing battle, his men and women still fighting for their lives. His fierce grin split his face once more as he rose up to meet her, reaching up and grasping the ruined remains of his shirt and ripping it free. As he did his reiatsu took visible form, a golden halo of power surrounding the towering man. Yet for all his size, he could not hope but look like an ant here in the shadow of such a monster. He squared his stance to face her, not running; if he fled then all behind him would become ash. It seemed a hopeless gesture all the same. Kurai brought her head forward and opened her maw wide, and flames poured forth in a torrent that turned the great night of Hueco Mundo to day and threatened a burning dawn for the Soul Society.

Kaito brought his fists back as Kurai's flame poured forth, an avalanche of destruction aiming for him. Then he lashed out as well; Kaito took a single great breath, then let out a roar of his own as he let loose a barrage of punches forward. With each punch there was a distortion in the air, coming to meet the oncoming flame. Then the first explosion went off, nearly two-hundred feet away from him. It detonated in a cone shape, aimed to meet the oncoming explosion. Then the second erupted. Then the third. No single blast could stop that torrent, but Kaito met the oncoming rush of flame with a barrage of individual explosions, aimed out and back towards Kurai's attack. He spread the attacks enough to catch create a wall of destruction to stop the river of death Kurai had sent forth towards him. He left enough space between where the two attack met and where he stood for most of the heat to dissipate with nothing left to carry it forward. The place where the two attacks met became a stretch of ruin and glass, the sand warped by the heat and will of the two powers clashing. Naught but glass and ash would be left there when the two were done.

Perhaps other were watching, Kaito did not have the time or attention to watch. He poured on the pressure, his arms moving faster than most present could have kept up with besides. The power rolled off him in waves, his feet planted firmly in the earth. To stop such an attack should have been impossible. To stand against such power was to consign oneself to death. That is what should have been true, but here another story was born. Kaito Soriz Toma did the impossible, and as the destruction wrought by the two cleared enough for the two to seen one another once more, there he still stood. Slashed and burned, covered in sweat and scars but his power hung around him in the air. He stood before the great and terrible might of Hueco Mundo's greatest beast, and his grin was fierce.

The ocean of flame that washed over the land to burn it to glass was stopped in a daring and creative way. Through dust and the smoke as the onslaught finally ended, both of them stood silently, staring at each other with wide grins. Kurai blinked once and looked over to the battlefield that she attempted to do away with. The people there were frozen in fear, even those on her side. King Kiyomaru stood quietly, thinking of what to do next. When her eyes met Kiyomaru's she smirked and then looked back to Kaito.

On the battlefield, the fighting ended. Kiyomaru called everyone back, pulling Aoi away from her battle and motioning for Gantain to get out. With Kurai in her "true form," this place had become too dangerous for them to stay. Kiyomaru knew she would not care what she was aiming at. She just proved that; that blast was going toward all of them too. "We need to go." He warned them both. Aoi wanted to argue, but Kiyomaru pulled her back with the back of her collar. Kurai would meet up with them later, or she won't. Not his problem.

"You're holding back, Kaito Toma." Kurai lowered her head, speaking very low to prevent her voice from booming over the field. "Come. Let's move away from your allies. Then you can fight me at full strength." Kurai actually held her claw out to him and waited for him to climb in. His hesitation was understandable. He eyed her, the claw, and then her again. So, she turned her claw around so he could stand on the back of her hand instead. Can't crush him that way since her bones were pretty normal. Once he jumped on, Kurai spread her wings quickly, causing wind to rush as if a tornado was near and the sands to rise like a cloud.

With the first flap, it made it worse. Some people had a hard time standing on their feet. Sora used a shield kido he knew to block the injured from being hurt again. Seeing her leave, Kiyomaru and the rest turned back and watched from the top of a hill. "Can we go back?" Aoi asked. "No. Let's return home." Kiyomaru said and forced Aoi to continue on back. Though Kurai left, their mission here was complete. Thousands of hollow made it back through with many captive souls. As far as the Arrancar were concerned, this... was a win.

A long way away from any known areas for hollow or shinigami, Kurai landed with a loud thud and held her claw out for Kaito to jump off. "It is a surprise I have not fought you in the past. One with your reputation would normally have crossed blades with me years ago." Kurai bent her knees, and in one jump, moved back about a hundred feet. "Before we begin, no matter the victor, it is an honor and quite exciting to fight one with strength such as yours. From now on, don't hold back. There is no one near here to harm."

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It was safe to say that at this juncture the last thing Kaito expected was words from the great wyrm before him, and yet that is what came in the wake of their clash. Around them the battle had come to an abrupt halt, and it seemed as though the Arrancar were pulling back and out of the fight. Kurai suggested a change of location for the remainder of their fight, offering a claw to carry him. He looked at her, down to the claw, and back to her. He gauged her a moment; was this a ploy to pull him away from the battlefield so the other could clean up? Was she trying to separate him so they could all come at him at once? For her part, it seemed she was genuine; she simply wanted to finish this fight with no distractions. He spared one glance back at his own, the men and women fighting for Soul Society. If this battle continued as it was, Kurai could bring ruin to much of the area without even trying. He could at least remove her as a factor from this fight. With backup on the way, he was confident they could hold. Kaito climbed up and held on as Kurai flew.

They found a suitable place, away from any of their allies and Kurai landed. Kaito jumped down, turning to face the dragon as she spoke once more.
“It is a big desert, so I guess we just never were in the same place at the same time,” he responded as Kurai spoke then moved away. She gave one last comment that the captain hadn’t expected, and his grin split his face once more.
“Well aren’t you full of surprises. I agree, it’s been a long time since I could cut loose, and its been an honor,” he said, taking up a stance once more. Once more his reiatsu manifested around him like a hanging halo. He took a deep breath.

Then the battle erupted once more.

Kaito went right back on the offensive, and in a manner that was somewhat novel to him; it was not often that Kaito was the faster of two opponents. With Kurai’s size though he’d have to make use of it, and he decided to amp that speed. He shot forward, not with Shunpo but by using his own strength. As he did he threw his fists behind him, letting out point-blank explosions and adding the force to his own momentum. The result was a veritable geyser of sand rising a hundred feet into the air as Kaito rocketed straight at the towering monster, covering the distance faster than one would expect of the large man. Near allies he had to be careful, lest he catch them in the wake of both his Zanpaku-tou’s ability and the affects of his own prodigious strength. Out here though, he no longer had any reason for the caution.

If he had managed to catch her flat-footed with the burst of speed, he’d aim to get under her and then launch himself up, bringing a fist crashing up into her underside. Even with the size and strength afforded Kurai by her new form, Kaito still held the upper-hand in pure strength. Kurai however was tough. Her Hierro was tougher than any Kaito had likely ever faced, so it was to be a challenge whether he could land any meaningful damage. If he hadn’t managed to catch her off-guard however, he had a different plan in mind. He’d hold a moment, gauging how she planned to counter attack; if she swung with one of her claws, he’d use the same technique he’d used to close the distance to launch himself at her opposite leg and aim to strike it. With something that big, putting pressure on its supports seems a smart tactic. If she instead aimed to simply bite him he’d continue his forward motion and head under her body.

It began.

Kaito made the first move, using his explosions to increase his speed. The action to gain speed was surprising, but the actual speed itself was not. Kurai expected this to be fun and was on full alert. He reached her underside and struck with an impressive amount of force. Instead of trying to avoid it, Kurai tensed every muscle in her large body as a way of steeling herself. When Kaito struck, he felt the strength of her scales and she felt the power of his punch. For once, Kurai felt like someone had the ability to penetrate her dragon armor.

It would be interesting to see if Kaito got to that point.

Kurai struck out with one of her massive claws. It came around in a sweeping motion toward Kaito. He used the same method to get out of the way of her attack and went for her leg. He aimed to strike it and did, but not without consequence. As he went for her leg, Kurai took in a deep breath and lifted it. The area around her face cooled rapidly. As he struck her leg, he pushed her back, but not enough to stop her from countering. Her leg came down in a heavy stomp and fire burst from the area, creating an intense shockwave of air and flame.

Kurai's stomp also created a splash of sand under them, some areas forming spikey glass-like terrain. She intended the fire and air that shot out in all directions to ground Kaito. Whether or not she brought him down, Kurai moved as quickly as she could. She moved by spinning her colossal dragon form around. Each foot stomped in the sand. Fire moved over the area beneath her to create more glass-like terrain. The important part of this, however, was the rough swing of her tail, which whipped around and was aimed specifically at Kaito, but also kept going until she came to a stop to face him, which allowed more disruption of the surrounding sand.

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His strikes were connecting but that had not truly been a question. Kurai had made herself a target that almost could not be missed; it was now a question of whether he could damage her. Thus far, the answer had been no it seemed. As he came back down from the strike on her chest, he claw lashed out towards him, and he used his Zanpaku-tou to propel him forward and out of its range. He took the chance to try striking at her leg, but she seemed to catch on quick to that. She raised up her foot up as Kaito struck, then brought the foot down. Accompanying that foot was a rush of pressure and heat. The desert recoiled away from her stomp, and Kaito was caught in it. Though he had the advantage in speed in this fight, Kaito was not a fighter that relied on movement speed like many others. However, he had long ago in this fight recognized that he couldn't keep trying to tank the strike that Kurai was putting out. In that battle of endurance, he was currently failing.

Kurai continued to spin, repeating the same attack from before. He had to change tactics here. He'd been caught up in the first stomp, the fire washing over him again and the force pushing him back. Now he rushed forward once more, straight into the crushing attacks Kurai was putting out. He used Hametsu to propel himself forward once more. As he came in range of the next leg though, he threw a fist out of his side and with another blast rapidly changed direction. He shot straight under Kurai once more, and threw out a flurry of strikes once more. Not one of them was aimed at the dragon. Instead, the flew off into the ground around her, causing large explosions and sending sand and dust roaring up into the air. Combined with Kurai's contribution, there was an effective smokescreen going on. With that, Kaito went for his actual attack.

He expected that Kurai was use her wings to try and clear the dust. He used a shunpo now; he wasn't someone that used it in battle often. He lacked the precise control to truly make use of it against most opponents. Most opponents though weren't so large though. Kaito appeared on Kurai as she stretched her wings out. Her scales were tough, but Kaito was willing to bet that if they had a weakness then the joints were a good guess. Unlike the wild haymakers he'd been through thus far though, Kaito focused.
“Ikkotsu,” he said almost calmly as he focused his skill and prodigous strength into a strike where Kurai's wing attached to her body. He'd follow it up with another Ikkotsu strike, aimed down into the top of her shoulder this time. He was using a lot of energy here though, on top of his travel. If it continued to prove that he could not deal significant damage as he was, he realized he may well have to resort to that.

The sand billowing up from beneath her created a good smoke screen. Normally, in this form, she’d be tall enough to avoid most of those problems, but Kurai found herself not liking her inability to see Kaito at this point. He maneuvered well for someone his size. She raised her massive wings out and swept them forward to blow away a good portion of the dust. It was then that she felt the pressure. Her scales cracked under it, the muscles beneath them gave way. An ancient feeling, pain, reemerged.

Kurai roared, the ear-piercing rumble echoing out over the barren desert. Before she truly reacted, he struck her shoulder with the same force. Like the previous, her scales shattered under his fists and the muscles beneath had pain shoot through them, but not as badly as before. Her shoulders were much less vulnerable than the joints to her wings. Kurai quickly rolled over like a dog to remove Kaito from her back. She completed the roll until she was back on her feet, facing him and immediately going on the offensive.

A quick deep breath and Kurai blew forth a colossal wave of flame that lit the desert. This blast was not as widespread as the previous she attempted, but it was narrow, forceful, and intentionally aimed. If he moved to dodge, she’d continue the flame for a few seconds, following him to the best of her ability until her flame enveloped him or until she ran out of breath. After which, Kurai would quickly lift one of her enormous claws and swipe at Kaito, her sharp nails being the focusing on piercing the man's flesh.

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With focus, he could actually land damage it seemed. His grinned a moment before Kurai began to roll. He had to admit, that was certainly one thing he hadn’t expected her to try. He wasn’t eager to test how well he’d fair under all her weight however; he pushed himself off as he rolled, giving himself a bit of distance as Kurai continued on. He used Hametsu to halt his momentum as he neared the ground. As he got his footing though the cost of all this exertion began to seep in through the rush of battle. He was gonna have to start being careful with expending so much energy; the act of stopping Kurai’s fiery breath had taken no small amount of energy. He also wasn’t used to using Hametsu to amplify his movement like he’d do so far; usually it was better suited to directly attacking the enemy. As Kurai seemed immune to the heat effects however, the diluted physical force from the blasts wasn’t going to cut it.

Speaking of that breath, Kurai sighted on him once more as she came up from her roll and took in a breath once more. He could guess what would follow. He couldn’t afford to try and block the attack. At least, not in the same way as last time. As Kurai unleashed the more focused blast, Kaito shot forward towards her and the oncoming attack. He held out both fists, closed and held just slightly ahead of his body with the backs of his fists facing Kurai.
“Arise O’ Lord of Tattered Flesh! Rise up, cast aside thy grasping claws with breaking day! Bakudo #39, Enkousen!” he called out, pouring reiatsu into the bakudo as the golden disk sprang up ahead of him. Kaito was only as proficient at Kidou as he was because he’d had more than long enough to become so. Even so, he was no master. With even a mid-level kidou such as this, it would be foolish to expect you could withstand the might of Kurai’s attack. Kaito wasn’t planning on waiting her out however. He continued to push forward, but several steps in her realized that this breath was more focused than the last. In the absence of superior skill, Kaito had to rely on the fact he had energy to pour into the kidou but even that was a short-lived venture.

While the Kidou kept the worst of the breath off him, it did not stop it entire. The fire roiled around him, turning the area behind him into glass and searing him yet again. He was going to be a royal wreck at the rate this was going, and he’d not managed to inflict much if any visible damage to Kurai. He needed to flip these tables. He felt the shield faltering, and abandoned his initial plan of action; he launched himself to his left, letting the kidou drop but taking yet more damage for his trouble as he made to outmaneuver the flames. As he did though, Kurai swung at him. Normally he would have stopped and caught the attack, pitting his strength against her’s. Given that she remained immune to flame, that would just hold him down to get roasted. Then he got an idea.

As Kurai’s claw came in range he shifted ever so slightly, then jumped. Not high into the air, not looking to let the claw pass under him. As he jumped he turned in mid air; he aimed to plant his feet in the middle of the enormous claw that came swinging at him. He used it’s momentum added to his own to launch himself forward, not lingering more than a moment in that claw lest she close in on him. He rode that momentum and flew up towards her head and shoulder; he lashed out with a quick jab. Unlike the earlier attacks, he didn’t detonate it right away. Instead, he detonated it near her eye; she may be immune to the heat, but the light would hopefully blind her enough to let him slip by. He used his Zanpaku-tou to manuever around her maw as she tried to snap at him, then halted his momentum to that he could land on her head. He planted his feet, and struck straight down with both hands in a focused attack.
“Soukotsu,” he said calmly. If that attack landed he expected her head would be forced down. He’d ride that down and unleash a flurry of haymakers to the exact same spot. Perhaps he could wear down a single location with focused, massive force.

The feeling that slammed the back of Kurai's skull, busting through her scales and denting the bone enough that it almost cracked, was not just the shock of forgotten pain. What hit her was the realization that this man had already used up a good portion of his energy and still could fight back and harm her. It was a brief moment of confusion, aroused by the sense of excitement that came from her first real challenge in centuries. That one punch was all she needed to react to him reflexively, old uncalculated primal instincts taking over.

That hurt. Stop it.

Kurai's long tail shot around in a whip-like fashion, aiming right at Kaito's side, intending to send him flying off before he could continue his barrage of punches. Putting much more effort into her movements, Kurai raised her head, turned to face Kaito, and swiped her claw down at him in a downward arch, aiming to pin him to the sand. If she struck, she'd push him down into the sand to crush him against the desert.

If her claw did not strike, Kurai's attacks would continue with the other claw swinging in a horizontal arch toward Kaito, but intending to pierce his flesh on her talons and sending him into the air at the end of the swing. Once he was in the air, she'd spin her tail around at him like a bat, bashing into his "small" body, and send him flying again, only to run after him, not wanting to give him much chance to retaliate against her.

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Kaito felt his punch land home, felt the give of scale and bone beneath his strength. If he’d been allowed a few more seconds, he may have been able to push this advantage to make a real gain. However, Kurai struck out with her tail; he caught sight of it coming at him and shifted, guarding against most of the damage from the strike itself. His footing here was poor though, and so he was sent flying off Kurai’s head and into the sands below. He landed poorly, slightly off balance and winded. It had been a long time since he’d had to exert this much effort against an opponent, events of the previous day or not. In the dust of his impact, he took a moment to catch his breath.

The arrancar had recovered quicker than he had expected however and she was upon him, a massive claw crashing down. Unable to move out of the way he threw his hands up and caught the massive claw. Pitting his strength against her strength and mass he could stalemate her, or at least he could if his footing wasn’t poor once again. He found himself on his back, keeping her from outright crushing him but unable to push her back. She had her massive bulk, gravity, and the retreating sands working in her favor. His mind raced for a few moments, and settled on the only course of action left to him. He let out a breath, and grinned. Kaito kicked up his feet to plant them against the crushing claw and shoved upwards. He bought himself only a moment’s respite, but that was all that was needed. Something changed under Kurai’s massive claws. The raging energy that was Kaito suddenly shifted; instead of lashing outwards it rushed back. Like something taking a large breath. Kaito brought his fists together in the shadow of Hueco Mundo’s greatest threat.

“Bankai, Yoake no Hametsu!”

Kurai had demonstrated more than well enough her invulnerability to fire, so the rising fireball that erupted out of Kaito may have seemed like nothing for a fraction of a moment before the air pressure struck her. Both that pressure and the fireball continued to grow, glowing white hot with its intensity. The sands around them were washed away in light and power and what little would remain in the aftermath would be ash and glass on a scale unlike anything the Arrancar had seen in the battle thus far. The attack continued to expand, the fireball growing still as the power was released. It did not happen slowly; it happened as quick as blinking, in the space between breaths. The White Desert was turned to horrible, blinding day for miles and miles. It was visible from the Breach, despite the distance they had put in between them and it. It left no ambiguity as to what had just happened.

Kaito’s Bankai was expressly forbidden from being unleashed within the confines of the Soul Society or the World of the Living, even during the most dire of circumstances. The destruction it wrought was on a scale that terrified those few who knew of it. It reduced the battlefield he and Kurai had been on to ruin for miles around them, and as the light died down the ash and smoke hung heavy in the air. This was no last ditch effort however, no final sacrifice. Not this time. Something moved in the smoke and Kaito Toma stepped out of it holding his Zanpaku-tou. He looked rough, injured not just from Kurai’s continued attacks but from his own Bankai in this instance. Not so much though that he looked unable to continue. He stood at the center of the desolation left by such a simple word. It was more than just the destruction of the physical world they stood in though; the very air felt wrong. The ground glowed from the heat and power of the attack, and Kaito awaited to see the results of his handiwork.

Success. The pressure behind her size, her strength, and the environment were all on her side. She pushed down into him, wondering how long it would take for his arms to break under the amount of force she was putting behind it. The pulsing on the back of her skull made her push harder and harder until her vision was suddenly enveloped in white. There wasn’t time to react. There wasn’t time to understand what was happening. There was only white, heat, and pressure. All of it lasted only a few seconds, and when she realized it stopped, she was nowhere near the ground.

“What?” The light faded and Kurai was still being thrown higher. She finally slowed and reached the point of falling. Her massive body began plummeting to the ground. She had a full-body stinging sensation from the heat. Smoke was coming off of her, leaving a stream behind as she fell. She looked to her claw, the one that had been holding Kaito down, and just stared at it. Most of the arm was gone. She knew she’d regenerate, but it was gone. She turned over in the sky, looking down toward the sand as it got closer and closer. Right before she hit, she released a burst of energy that twisted her.

Like a cat falling from a high spot, Kurai was able to get her feet under her. When she landed, there was much less of a bang than one would expect. Sand and glass still shattered from the impact, but not enough for her dragon size. As her own cloud of smoke cleared up, Kurai was standing there in her normal form, her sword back in hand, and her body still smoking. She eyed Kaito, examined him from top to bottom. That attack was intense, and for a moment, she was actually worried. That feeling was both unwelcome and no longer familiar. There was no way he could do that again…

“You… are by far… the best fight… I have had… in… centuries.” Kurai said between breaths.

Kurai looked to her sword. She looked to her scorched arm. She could still fight, right? She slid the swords blade along the ground and shoved the tip into the sand. The effort that took, though she showed little struggle, told her that she could last maybe five more minutes in a full-on battle. She looked at Kaito and took in a deep breath. “Honestly, how are you doing?” she picked her sword up and laid it over her shoulder. “You burnt me, and you reverted my dragon form with whatever that was.” She looked over the battlefield. It didn’t only look really strange, it felt it. “I see why so many of my kind fear you.”

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It took Kaito a few moment’s to catch sight of Kurai’s form as it sailed through the sky, and he tracked it as it plummeted back towards the ground. There was motion, and he could sense the power still coming off the Arrancar; even though he had suspected she’d survive his Bankai, it was still surprising to him. He could count the number of beings that could survive his Bankai at point-blank range on a single hand, even with this instance included. It seemed that he had certainly left an impact on her however, as he form shrunk back towards his base form, minus an arm. She was an Arrancar, she’d grow it back eventually he imagined. Still, it certainly gave him an advantage at this point.

Then Kurai spoke out.

He gave a nod of agreement to her first sentiment. Kurai took stock of herself, then spoke out again across the expanse of destruction. He took a breath in, and let out it with an audible sound.
“That was my Bankai, and you are one of a bare handful to have survived it,” he said, no hint of false bravado in his voice. Given the scene around them, he didn’t need bravado.
“Honestly, I’m tired. You are by far the strongest opponent I’ve fought with in centuries, even disregarding the full day’s run I had before we started. Though if it was you that took down the pillar of the Edge, I’d imagine that took a bit of energy as well,” he said, looking to confirm a suspicion. The Pillars of the Crimson Edge were incredibly durable; Kurai had demonstrated great power, but he wasn’t sure that it was enough to actually tear the pillar down. Maybe if she had help? Or if she had used a great deal of energy beforehand?

He also took stock of himself. He’d taken quite the beating from this bout, even before he’d unleashed his Bankai. If she was able to return to that form again, he’d be forced to use his Bankai once more. Given the shape he was in he guessed he could use it one or two more times without taking his life in the process, assuming only minimal damage from her. He’d have to move the fight outside the disruption radius though before he could do so, and if she caught on to that fact it would certainly make things difficult. If this fight was to continue, he would have to to do soon; stalling would only benefit Kurai. It seemed she was getting to something however, and he waited to see what that was.

"I still have strength left in me, and I can use a weapon in both hands. I don't really need two. Though, I'm not sure I want to deal with your bankai anymore. So, you're tired, I'm tired. You're hurt, I'm hurt. Why don't we call this a day, hm?" Kurai swung her blade, and it shrunk down into its normal form. "I'll even give you some information for entertaining me here today." With her sword having turned back to normal, Kurai, stretched a bit. Her back, neck, and wrist all popped. It wasn't long before her arm began healing too, slowly returning to its normal form. She wouldn't put her sword completely away, just in case he'd choose to attack, but...

"Do you want my information or not? It's juicy and can give your people a huge advantage." Kurai stuck her reverted zanpakuto into the ground and then hopped onto the hilt, able to keep her balance and be more eye-to-eye with Kaito. "I have a few things I can tell you, only one you can get for free. First, how the edge was broken, because no... it wasn't me. Second, the true goal of this entire pain in the ass day. Third, the location of our hideout. Fourth, the number of arrancar in our army. Or five, the traitor among you and the proof with it. Remember, only one of these are free. Anything else, I want something in return. Choose wisely."

» Crimson Edge Arc: Sealing The Edge [Event 6] [CLOSED]
» Crimson Edge Arc: A Second Attack - Event Four [Closed]
» THE CRIMSON EDGE ARC [EVENT ONE] -COMPLETE-
» Crimson Edge Arc: Into Enemy Territory - Event 7
» Crimson Edge Arc: The Opening [Event Five] -Complete-