Spying on Seireitei[Shadow Fall][FINISHED]

Mission Specs:

When moving against Seireitei the first step was to enter Seiretei, something the shinigami had made harder then ever. That was how Styn found himself traveling a poorly kept road on the outskirts of the seventy second northern district, heading slowly but surely toward the center of soul society. This was more of an information gathering attempt then an actual invasion however. For now the demon enjoyed the fading sunlight, the clean fresh air, and the three thugs were were even now blocking his way forward.

"Look what we have here, smells like fresh meat to me boys," Lead Thug taunted with a leering up and down look.

Styn had to admit that he didn't really blend it that well. The three of them were wearing some variation of a lengthy, short sleeved tunic, tied with a cloth belt. Shorts and sandals rounded out their appearance. The clothes themselves were dirty and raged at the hem and sleeves. All three of them carried thick sticks sized to match swords they no doubt wished they had instead. Even from here the demon could smell their unwashed bodies. The demon had lost track of how many similar encounters he had experienced during the day.

"This is our road," Lead Thug continued. "You'll have to pay a toll."

As the two lackey thugs chuckled, Styn wondered what sort of tribute would be acceptable to the denizens of such a realm. Surely soap would be the kindest thing that the demon could offer. They couldn't possibly smell like that because they wanted to. Still, he hadn't thought to bring anything. Indeed, he hardly expected to converse at all, let alone barter. His mission was simple, he was going to follow what passed for a road in these parts, until he was stopped by real resistance. Styn pondered if this counted and he could just head back now.

"Hey, I'm talking to you stranger. You can start by taking off your clothes, I bet I could get enough water to last me a month. New souls always have good clothes."

Styn put on an easy smile as he advanced toward the thugs. "Walk away friend, this doesn't have to end badly." Laughter was the only thing that met his statement. Within moments he stood staring down at the three men, he was several inches taller then all of them. There was just something lacking in his stance though. Maybe it was the way he slouched or the way his eyes shifted to avoid contact. Whatever it was must have seemed like weakness.

The thug to the left telegraphed a wide swing that Styn made no effort to dodge. Wood exploded against the side of the demon's face. The momentum and strength of the blow was enough to shift his head slightly to the right, but no more. The demon's passive Akuma Kyodo flared for a brief moment into the visible spectrum as it nullified the force of the blow. The effect was similar to striking a stone pillar, and the thug was even now shaking out a hand stun by recoil.

"W...what kind of monster are you?" Lead Thug stammered, must less confident now.

"Walk away friend," Styn said again. "Oh and, you haven't seen anything on the road today, remember that part, its important."

The demon chuckled in restored good humor as the thugs scrambled away so fast that two of them tripped over their own sandals. He then continued down the road toward the center of the district. Perhaps he should have gated in closer. It was obvious by the reactions of those who had appeared thus far that this was a lawless land. He hadn't seen even a hint of the sort of order shinigami's espoused to enforce and protect.

Clap, clap, clap.
The sound echoed across the road as a Shinigami emerged from the foliage. He walked out and stood on the path that the Demon had just trailed. The Shinigami walked with prepose, a defined elegance common with the fairer sex. Each step he took his long ponytail of purple hair fluttered. His eyes of a deep sapphire watched the demon before him taking in all the information he could. His Shihakushō was clean for the most part, but specs of dust had clung to his clothes. He kept his hand on his Zanpakutô as stare across the road at the demon before him. His name was Arron Deoradh and he would protect the people of the Rukongai against any foe.

"That was an impressive feat of handling those thugs as you did demon," Arron said as he adjusted his glasses. "But you kind is not welcome among the Rukongai. I will ask you to leave only once, which is a better offer then most Shinigami would give."

Hopeful the Demon would accept this offer. Because he wouldn't hope to access the Seireitei with skills this bad. The best he could do is Rukongai, but Arron would not let him go near it. He had to admit the demon was smarter then most for taking back roads that were in a state of disrepair. That was as fair as he was going to give him though. If the demon were to impress him then it would have needed to something more. Like wearing a cloak and hat to make him blend in. Also take side paths that were not beaten down like this since they are normally clear of thug. Over all the demon stuck out like a soar thumb. It was one of the reason Arron could shadow him so easily.

Then again not many could have learned the thing Arron had. It took sheer amount of luck, and thinking ability to avoid and out run Squad 2 for close to forty years. Because of that he was an expert in hiding under the radar. Therefore it give him a good ability to see people that are trying to stay under the radar. The key that most people miss is that it not about being seen, it about being seen and avoid the attention. If you go about and blend into the crowd then people are less likely to see you. Something the Demon was lacking with his choice of attire.

"If you do not retreat then I would have no choice but to fight you." Arron said giving the Demon a chance to retreat. That didn't mean he wasn't preparing for a fight though. As he issued his final warning Arron slipped off the top of his Shihakushō. His arms and upper torso was ridden with scars. It also revealed his muscles he had hidden in his thin frame. Arron took a fighting stance and waited the Demon's response.

Styn froze as the sound of clapping seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Once again the demon cursed his stunted spiritual awareness. Then again the normal counter to that weakness wouldn't have been valid in the current situation regardless. After all he could hardly even joke about a stealth mission where he was saturating the surrounding area with Za Koa. Luckily, in this particular instance it would seem getting caught out of sorts didn't lead to a surprise attack.

The figure who seemed to glide out of a space Styn would have sworn was too small to hide a dog, let alone a person, was a puzzle. His manner and carriage reminded the demon of the royals who strutted about the demon world. The shinigami's actions and words however were of a more humble sort, lacking the biting arrogance that was common to the implied caste. Respect for an enemy was often a rare occurrence given the current animosity between the factions.

This wasn't the time to be confused though. Any foe who could so easily mask their reiatsu while accurately ascertaining Styn's origins was not someone to underestimate. The demon found himself suddenly grateful for the laziness that prevented him from slaying any of the souls he had encountered thus far. Who said that lack of motivation would always be a bad thing? In fact it began to look like he would manage to get out of this conflict relatively unscathed.

"Wow, that's pretty generous of you," Styn stated with a raised eyebrow. Lest the shinigami take his words for mocking, the demon quickly raised his hands in a gesture of peace. He was unarmed, but not for the first time he pondered the fact that this position was very favorable for launching a Black Inferno Blast at an unsuspecting foe. Something he had no intention of doing at the moment. "Peace, I meant nothing by it. If the the gig is up, its over. I'll graciously accept your offer."

As the shinigami squared off in a combat stance Styn gave a start, wondering if the words were just a way to get him to lower his guard. After a moment the demon realized that he was not in fact under assault. The scars were a curious show, and didn't seem to match the rest of the man's appearance. Styn wondered if they had been acquired at a young age, or if the fabled healing of the fourth squad was really that bad. It was a question for another day though. At no time during his hesitation did the demon enter anything resembling a fighting kata of his own. If the shinigami was skilled enough to sense the movement of energy, Arron would detect no increase in Za Koa.

"This will just take me a moment, opening a rift in reality is more work then you might think," Styn said as he knelt in the road. The demon didn't kneel facing forward, instead he turned to the right, gaze staring off into the empty space that was the shrub populated stretch of district seventy two. Pale violet orbs flickered toward Arron as the demon kept a somewhat vague impression of the shinigami's current position. He only hoped that the gathering of Za Koa wasn't going to be construed as some sort of attack. With an effort of will Styn was suddenly filled with a flood of demonic energy. Every cell quivered as a connection was established to the red hot realm of chained chaos. It wasn't the most he could hold, but it was the most he could hold without shifting.

"In the name of Zoa Koa, I beseech thee to grant my spell," Styn said while reaching out a hand and commanding the increased energy to pool there. Now where was a discernible shift in his internal stability, as Za Koa rushed to complete the commanded task. The power sizzled from cell to cell, sending pleasurable tingles throughout his entire body. Styn's eyes narrowed in concentration as he formed a clear image of his intent. He needed a door. In the end it wasn't much more complicated then that. He stood in a gigantic room that was Soul Society, and he needed a way into another room.

"In the name of the dark god, open this portal of darkness," Styn continued and in a dark red flash, there before him, stood a twisting door into chaos. It was roughly ten meters in diameter and almost black in color. At the edges, the energy was especially active, and a lighter shade of crimson. It hummed and crackled as it tried to cut the very air. The demon knew from personal experience that the outside of the portal was very dangerous. He had no idea where the unfinished door itself would lead at this point however. Perhaps no where, maybe into a place between worlds where he'd be trapped forever, or instantly die. Curiously wasn't motivation enough to tempt fate.

"I want to be alone, let no one accept my just damnation." This was the longest part of the process. His door was created for all the good it would do him. Now he had to link it with another physical space. In this case the incantation helped focus his mind. He wanted solitude, the image of the place in mind was slow in forming, but form it did. A dark forest of silence. The images of a broken castle flickered. A place of quiet and comfort where he could slack off to his hearts content. His emotions soared and a genuine smile tugged the corners of his lips upward.

Several potentially tense moments passed as he painstakingly and lovingly crafted his own personal hell. A home away from home. No one to tell him what to do, and hours worth of entertainment to indulge in. The dark forest quickly acquired a generator, a television, a gaming console. A shelve filled with all his favorite books, a fridge with the tastiest snacks. All the necessities that made life worth living. "Release the gates and Open the Abyss," Styn commanded with a note of finality.

If interrupted during this process Styn would have very little defense. His passive Akuma Kyodo would most likely stop a mortal strike, but the likelihood of sustaining a large amount of damage was high. If he was allowed to complete the incantation he would get to his feet, slightly out of breath and stare at the now mirror buffed black passage into freedom. At this point the demon would stop and shoot a worried glance toward the shinigami. After a moment of locked gazes he would turn away from the gateway and shrug apologetically.

"Look, I um, I can't go back like this. I'm sorry for the trouble, but I'll have to take you up on that offer to fight. Got to keep up appearances and all that you know?"

The demon would make no attempt to enter into a formal combat stance, however his feet would be shoulder length apart. His posture would be relaxed, without fear, but with a hint of nervousness. His eyes would be alert to any movements his opponent might make, even if his reflexes might not be able to keep up. It would quickly become apparent that Styn was waiting for Arron to make the first move, and had no intention of starting the conflict.

Arron could feel a sigh coming on as the Demon before him decided that running wasn’t going to happen. Of course it wasn’t going to be easy, and he could tell that it wasn’t going to be like a Hollow fight. He need to think carefully on how approach this. He didn’t know what is opponent was able to do therefore it made him dangerous. Despite this danger his opponent wasn’t as bad as Hollows. He was at least civil enough, for a demon at least. Since he was civil the least Arron could do was introduce himself before he started this battle.

“Arron Deoradh, I shall be your opponent since you refuse to retreat.” Arron said with a formal tone and a slight bow of the head. He then claimed his being finding his focus as he let out breath. Inside his mind it was dark but say for a single blue light. In an instant the light change and it encompassed him with it steeled himself for the fight to come. He felt a wave crash over him as his body went into it’s fighting mode. He felt his Reiryoku rushing through his body as mighty torrent of wind. A mighty wind that was ready to rip apart any thing along his path. His body glowed a slight blue hue as he created a small spiritual pressure. He wasn’t that strong compared to other Shinigamis, but he did have skill at least enough to create spiritual pressure.

He let his spiritual pressure fill his being before releasing it. He channeled his strength towards his leg. One of the few things he had as a Shinigami was strength and skill in ability to use Kido. Right now he was using that strength to lunch himself at his opponent. The road crack with the force he used to close the few feet with in second. Sure other Shinigamis could just run at their opponent and be just as fast. Arron didn’t have that luxury; to make up for this lost used his mind to figure out what he could do. By using short burst of strength he could lunch himself. Something that wasn’t every fast in the long term, but for short burst it was perfect. It allowed him to get close with out wasting his Reiryoku on a Flashstep.

”Hadō Number 1: Tessho” Arron began his Hadō move as he closed the gap. Once close he moved his left hand into an open palm strike. The strike itself had enough power to break a Hollows mask. Arron aimed this attack his to the right of his opponent’s sternum to maybe hit the clavicle or scapula in a attempt to break one. His goal was to create strain on his opponent’s right arm. He liked to aim for joints on an opponent’s body to weaken them before going for shots that could cause more damage. Although his attack was more then it seemed. It was similar to a Shunko it the respect of combining Hakuda and Kido but that was as far as it went. Unlike Shunko that is a true combination, Arron’s style was something very simple. He followed up his Hakuda strikes with a Kido. It gave his opponent less time to react to the Kido even if the Hakuda was blocked. As his strike came close Arron finished Kido by commanding out the final word. “Sho.” If both attacks where to hit it would cause massive blunt trauma damage to the place that was touched.

"Styn of Shadow Fall," the demon said in the brief pause after Arron's own introduction. Most people generally expected such social niceties when going through the effort of introducing themselves. At least the battle would start out civil, where it would go from there was anyone's guess though. Styn did not however inline his head, neither did he show any scorn. He also made no mention of his family name, the embarrassing standard that his father had adopted to honor their liege lord was hardly flattering.

While the demon might not be inclined to attack first, neither was he going to sit still while Arron prepared his strike. An instant of will was all it took to release his true form. This should not be confused with a shinigami's shikai or similar power augmentation. The demon by no means was suddenly several times his inherent strength. It would be more accurate to say that he was no longer limiting himself and could now fight at his full potential. Although the release did come with certain advantages. Already he began to see the way that reality connected to itself. These perceptions would only strengthen as his third eye soaked up the information of the universe.

Styn might be filled to the brim with Za Koa, but he wasn't actually generating any spiritual pressure. That wasn't to say that he was undetectable, far from it. The shinigami would have no problem locating Styn were he to disappear from view. The demon didn't have so much extra energy that he could waste it trying to intimidate his opponent, and he didn't have enough power to stop or even slow Arron. The invisible sigils that covered his body in a tapestry of symbology would actually act to trap Za Koa and channel it into his Akuma Kyodo.

As wind began to stir the air around Arron, in response to the generated Reiryoku, Styn began to direct his own energy. Za Koa already sizzled and popped, flushing the demon with pleasure. Biology designed the demon race to synch with the bound chaos that was the source of their power. It was a good feeling, a damn good feeling. Styn could almost see the allure that sent Mana's demon world zealots rampaging across the land. Nervousness vanished beneath the onslaught of such sensations. He was now prepared to fight, genetics taking over for will, burying any feelings of doubt.

Arron's opening strike was fast, the shinigami wasted no time, giving Styn very little to work with. It was possible that a properly executed flash step might have broken the demon's guard. To be sure if he had lost sight of the shinigami completely his reaction may have been different. As it was, he was as ready as he could be for a frontal attack. Feet shoulder width apart, arms already starting to shift upward in response to the forward movement.

The open handed blow was smooth and well executed. The demon saw no way to avoid or misdirect the attack, clearly this was more then a simple smack. Although unfamiliar with Hakudo, Styn got the sense of a maneuver practiced so often that its execution became an extension of thought. The grace evident in Arron's previous actions was even more pronounced in the execution of his attack. As a dodging was a waste of energy, and parrying was not possible, it really only left one option of mitigation. Although unsure why the shinigami would choose to engage him in hand to hand combat, Styn was not so unskilled that he couldn't block the attack.

Hunching forward slightly, the demon shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, preparing to be struck. His bone white arms, thicker now in his true form, raised and crossed over his chest. They were bent at the elbow, fists pointing up in an X shape, fully extended as opposed to held close. Arron would be able to tell as he hit, that Styn's arms were similar to the flat of a shinigami's blade. Clearly the gauntlets were a place of strength, and not just for show. The force of the attack pushed Styn back, dust kicking up slightly on the road.

The follow up Kido took the demon by surprise. As the invisible kinetic push splashed against his passive Akuma Kyodo, his eyes flickered with a micro expression of shock. The cloth of Styn's suit crumpled and twisted slightly as if the initial attack had actually landed, albeit a much weaker version. Bone white clad feet danced backwards, maintaining balance as the momentum played out. The shinigami was going to have to strike with something a bit more impressive to pierce even his low level skin though.

A single moment was all he needed for his first trick. The Za Koa he held was pushed into overdrive as every sigil on the demon's body began to glow into the visible spectrum. Even the bone white gauntlets and suit pant covered leggins that appeared in his true form would have a spattering of infernal red tattoos. It was not however, the steady radiance of a doubled Akuma Kyodo. Instead, it was the wild fluctuation of Shadow Burst, sigils pulsing rapidly. Styn suddenly seemed twice his strength.

The burst of energy was not directed at increasing physical attributes, the demon was not actually any faster or stronger then before. Something that was not readily detectable. Instead, every ounce of the gathered energy was channeled into his next incantation. Styn's mind raced as he sought out a familiar shape. A soldier demon would be a perfect addition the battlefield. It was a shape he saw on a regular basis, and would only need minor modifications to be just the tool needed. "Awaken the shadow within me, mend them new flesh and unleash them upon the world, Za Koa!" Power spiked and then left Styn in a rush. Shadows began to form behind Arron, the new vessel for the previous surge of Za Koa. Where once there was nothing, there would suddenly be an undeniable presence.

If Arron were to turn he would see the summoning that had been spawned from Styn's mind, constructed by rote, following a well practiced recipe.

The creature was a squat ugly beast barely four feet tall, with pale yellow hide. It was a hairy thing, with black coarse bristles poking out of its head, across its naked chest, and on its arms and legs. It wore only a loincloth for modesty's sake. Long pointed ears sloped backward against a wrinkled face. The summoning had sharp teeth and its nose was little more then reptile slits. Its eyes were likewise short gashes, and shone with an infernal red glimmer. Instead of forearms and hands, the creature's arms ended in curved blades.

The combination of shadow burst and fusing his entire summoning potential into one creature, allowed Styn to reach the lowest threshold of an adept level demon magic skill. The beast made no attempt to mask its power or act in stealthy manner. The summon materialized as a tier 4-5 and attacked immediately with slashing cuts from both arms.

It would take about six seconds to complete the spell, from start to finish. The shinigami was still very close and would no doubt be a continued threat. It was possible that the increase in strength would make Arron wary to close the distance. Styn would remain, with feet shoulder width apart during the incantation. He would actively defend himself, albeit with less skill then he could manage with his mind fully engaged on close quarters combat.

If the shinigami attempted to use hoho to maneuver, Styn would counter by connecting to a distant shadow and shadow stepping away. The demon would continue this evasive dance until the incantation completed, only using shadow steps in response to flash steps. However, he would not be the first to expend that level of energy, counting on what skill he had to keep him safe until the spell could be finished.

Regardless of the next exchange of blows Styn would expel a breath, face showing the exhaustion of his actions. "Play with him for a bit would you?" The demon would quip with a slight smile.

Arron was pleased that he got the first strike on his opponent. A type of advantage for any Hakudo user was to gain the first hit. It was also a simple probing strike to get a feel for his opponent. The new form that the Styn took gave it hard skin. Most likely those bone white gauntlets on his arms gave him an advantage in hand-to-hand defense and offence. They were also hard like metal that would take more damage then normal flesh. At least Arron knew he was not skimping on strength as the attack pushed Styn back. Even more pleasing was the slight reaction he got when the Kido hit Styn. His opponent was not expecting such a attack and there was a slight evidence of shock on his face. Arron executed the attack as planed, but he found a slight hiccup in it. He didn’t know why, but Styn some how dampened his Kido before hit him. This mean he would have to use slightly more powerful Kido to break through.

Instead of following up immediate on his last attack; Arron was going to play it smart. He would allow his opponent to have the next move. This was the first time he faced a Demon so the more he could learn that better he would be since this became a fight. Learning as much as he could in one battle would provide him with valuable experience. It would answer questions that Arron was asking himself. Question such as: What is this energy they use? Would it react the same as Reishi or would it be different? How good is their defense against Kidos? And the most important Question, what are some of the capabilities they had?

As the Energy from Styn increased Arron knew he was about to receive and answer to one of these questions. Then the sense hit him as a new source of energy appeared behind him. The new changed forced Arron into action as he used his launching technique to move him away from his position. He lunched himself to the side and towards the foliage that he was using to stock Styn earlier. The force of his launch though causes the ground to crater in a two feet radius as he moved away. He landed a total of twelve feet from his last position marked by the crater. There he could see both his opponent and the new creature forming from shadows.

The beast was an ugly thing. It reminded Arron of a cross between a snake and a bat with blades for arms. It was also charging at him with a full on sprint to slash him with those blades. Thankful as it started to appear Arron new he would have to be rid of it. He knew just the way to be rid of the beast. Before it finished it formation Arron began his Kido chant. Granted he could just use it with out chanting, but he wanted the extra strength behind it.

“Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!” Just as Arron was about finish his Kido the lowly minion was upon him slashing with both arms. Arron ducked under the first strike continuing to cast his Kido. “Bakudo Number 9” Then came the second arm continue in just as fast as the first. Since he was still crouch and bent low he couldn’t avoid or dodge this next attack, but he could block it. Pulling out his Zanpakutô in a reverse grip the weapon still in its sheath collided with the beast arm. Arron need to finish the last piece of the incantation before the beast could follow up another attack. “Geki.” Once he finished his chant a red light would engulf the beast paralyzing it. The Kido itself would be at full power and should have more then enough strength to hold the beast for a while. Arron only needed a few seconds.

Once The Kido took effect Arron finished pulling out his Zanpakutô and changing the grip to a two hand style. That wasn’t the only thing he did. He also called upon his Zanpakutô’s sealed power. ” Schutze.” Arron called out causing the blade to glow blue. The energy forming along the blade gave it the appearance of tiny sparks of energy grinding against each other as if to tear through his opponents. The blade worked in similar style to that of a Quincy Seele Schneider. It would tear through Reishi created items and forcing the energy into the air. Although it was yet to be sure what it would due to this creature. One thing was for sure though; Arron’s Zanpakutô was now sharper. Swing his Zanpakutô’s with all his strength from a low position, Arron’s cut meant to slice the beast in half from a diagonal direction.

Arron's Geki was very effective, completely immobilizing the summon. The beast was only able to watch with hate filled eyes as the Shinigami drew his Zanpakutō and covered it in a strange aura and rushed to attack. No cry would escape its lips as the edge struck. However, Arron was in for several surprises. Firstly, the amount of resistance he felt from his strike was actually pretty significant. At tier 4-5 the creature was almost as spiritually dense as the shinigami himself.

The blade bit deep, but was unable to completely slice through the compact structure. To be sure, it amounted to what would be considered a mortal blow on on a living creature. The Zanpakutō entered from the bottom, right about the hip level, and penetrated half way through the summons's torso area, before coming to a halt. Perhaps if Arron had known this strike would fail to completely sever the opponent, he may have chosen to lop off an arm or leg. Instead while slightly unbalanced by the deep wound, the creature maintained a surprising level of combat functionality. A sword was not exactly made to cause rending damage, in fact the increased level of penetration would create an even finer cut.

The second surprise was that the beast seemed completely unfazed by the strike. As a construct it lacked internal organs or blood. The insides were like stone or metal, a hardened substance of calcified Za Koa. It had no sense of pain, or motivation beyond attack and basic preservation. Arron's Shutze would actually throw up sparks as if trying to use a chainsaw against a metal pole, after the initial penetration halted. In this case the sparks were a representation of the demonic energy that was being sundered and rendered into the atmosphere. If the shinigami would dare to harness the chained chaos, it was now there to be held.

The third surprise was most likely the least shocking. While Arron's Geki had helped to facilitate an uncontested strike, it was by no means enough to incapacitate the summon forever. Even as sparks of Za Koa exploded outward from the wound, the demon was in motion again. Where slicing had failed it now tried thrusts. It actually took a step into the cutting force of the blade to obtain maximum effective range. The summon stabbed forward with both blades, upward as the creature was significantly shorter then the shinigami. The sword arms would seek to bury themselves in Arron's tender guts.

Styn watched every motion of the exchange from a comfortable distance. While his internal energies were still roiled from the application of Shadow Burst, he was more then ready to continue the battle. It remained only to wait for the proper opportunity. A second application of demon magic would be pushing the limits of his strength, however the demon had been in far more draining encounters in recent days. For example, his last mission had pit him against a wave of hollows that lasted for a full hour, with only brief rests. By comparison, the current fight had barely lasted thirty seconds.

At the end of his summoning he had surely felt the effects, and his pool of resources was certainly slimmer. There was yet untapped resources available though, and the few seconds of respite were sufficient to restore a sense of balance to the demon. He was therefore in a rather pristine state of mind to make a few observations as to performance displayed by the shinigami. Arron was strong to be sure, this was no new soul, fresh to his spirit powers. Neither was it a mindless hollow, driven by instinct.

At the least his repertoire was far greater. Styn's first observation of note was the behavior of Kido as he had noticed it so far. When it had been directed toward him, it was hard to say for sure how this power functioned. The briefing he had received from a Shadow Fall trainer wasn't exactly real world application. It may be true that different Kido functioned differently, but already the two he had seen had one very important common factor. Line of sight. There was a delay between when a finger was pointed and when an effect occurred. The demon began to see possibilities with this knowledge.

Styn's second observation of note was of a more sinister nature. The demon had poor spiritual sensing. It was his understanding that many demon's suffered from this. He had made that summon creature though. Styn knew to an iota how strong it was, he knew its functions and features as they were born in the confines of his own mind. That was why even as the creature froze, impacted by the binding force that Arron brought to bear, a small smile tugged at his lips.

Styn was faster, and he was stronger. It might not be by a significant degree, but the demon knew these things to be uncontested. There was always the potential for deception, and if that was the case that he was about to be rudely put in his place, for it was time to strike. A gathering of will at an opportune moment facilitated his next attack. He had gotten the shinigami's measure in both a direct exchange and observing the quick salvo from a beast he had shaped with his own hands. The demon connected to the Shinigami's own shadow, cast onto the ground and pulled, executing a shadow step. There was nothing special to this act, it was the normal way Styn used shadow step, a movement his own mind had always associated with pulling, instead of pushing. Arron would feel no attack on his nature so spiritual structure, such was not the purpose of shadow step.

Before the pull, Styn executed a small jump, because of this his exit point shifted upward as well. That was how the demon found himself three feet above the ground, glaring down at his foe. Styn had waiting for his construct to be frozen, he had patiently watched for the shinigami to bind his sword with cutting force, he had stood by at the closing of distance, he had even allowed Arron the time to plant his feet and gather his strength. There was a moment in every strike where intent and physics colluded with inertia to deny mobility. This was the instant where Styn struck.

From a position of three feet in the air he leaned forward, committing his own forward momentum into a powerful strike. The demon was completely in Arron's blind spot. While it was impossible for the shinigami to fail to notice his movement, he would have no ocular help in identifying how Styn was attacking. It was not an example of gracefully displayed attacking skill. Styn showcased no particular fluidity of motion, no practiced kata formed the basis of his maneuver. The blow was crude without being clumsy.

The demon lashed down powerfully with his right hand, sweeping it from the right to the left. His target was the exposed neck of his foe. An uncontested blow from this range and angle would carve out half of Arron's neck, the likelihood of death was high from such a blow, almost certain, if it were to hit. Even a glancing blow of an inch an a half in depth would sever the shinigami's spine. That was the sort of vulnerable area the demon targeted. His timing would put the strike reaching the right side of Arron's neck just as the shinigami's own blade began to bite into his summon.

Leaning far enough forward to avoid Styn's assault, would rob much of the power away from the Arron's slice. It just wasn't physically possible to deliver a blow from a vastly different angle with the same strength. The demon had more then enough room and time to extend his own arm at least another foot and a half to accommodate any motion in that regard. This would force a very significant forward lean to avoid damage to Arron's neck.

A step to the left would break the shinigami's balance as Styn specifically was striking at a time when the anchoring foot could not afford such a disturbance. At best this would also significantly effect the Zanpakutō's piercing potential, at worse Arron might have to abandon the attack completely. Furthermore, such an attempt would meet with Styn's left hand which could easily levy a similar strike, which the shinigami would actually be walking into.

A desperate flash step could potentially take the shinigami completely out of harms way, but then Arron would be abandoning his attack completely. No matter the outcome, there was still the summoned creature to account for, and it would be ruthlessly single minded in its attacks. Slicing and pursuing to the best of its speed and ability. The strikes would be clumsy, the summon lacking the ability to target arteries, or specific vulnerabilities. However, it would now be adding thrusts to its combo of slashes, something the Arron would have to deal with.

Only a fool would leave a blind spot open to more then one opponent. After fighting Hollows for close to four hundred years you begin to learn things: One, never leave a blind spot open for a Hollow can sneak up and attack you. Two, Hollows are unpredictable and can attack in different ways. Three use caution when fighting an opponent with unknown abilities. And finally four, never be afraid lessen a blow from a strike if it will save your life. That something he has learned over the years of fighting. He felt the presence of Styn as he waited for a moment to strike out at him. Because he waited that was his biggest mistake. Waiting when so close to a pray gives them time to react and that was what Arron did.

Being so low to the ground Arron was in the perfect position for a throw. He removed his right hand as he swung his Zanpakutô. By removing his hand the blade only bit about a quarter the way into the demon spawn before him. His move free hand moved up grabbing the creature close to the armpit. He also twisted the handle of his Zanpakutô so that it would act as a lavage point. People also assumed that there are only a few ways you can move while dodging. Front, Back Left, Right, or to the air by jumping. Even ducking was well known way of dodging, but dropping to the ground wasn’t in hand book that people read. That was what in essences Arron had done. As he dropped Arron was using low center of gravity to flip the demon spawn over top of him and cover him from Styn’s attack. As he moved the demon was released from his Kido and was more then ready to attack. However it was highly unlikely that the demon spawn could react as he was being thrown. The reason behind it ability react is because sudden change in the environment. As the demon spawn being a creature of instinct, might even take it longer to process that it was being thrown over the course of a few seconds. However Arron was not going to just throw the demon spawn. As he fell he positioned his right foot in the center of the creatures chest. Once Styn was in reach Arron kicked the Creature forward. The force of the kick was enough to send it shooting forward like a cannon ball.

Once Arron lunched the demon spawn, he kept a tight grip on to his Zanpakutô. If he was lucky it would do more damage as it was freed from the demon spawn that was lunched. After his sword was free, Arron twisted his body so that he could regain footing. However that was not the only thing he did. As he moved Arron used a flash step to retreat ten yards away and twenty yards above the ground facing where he once was. Standing in his new position Arron felt that he his breath rising and falling slightly faster then normal. This was getting tougher then he thought it would be. He was trying to play it safe, but even then some things are not what you expect them to be. Even now it was proving to be the same as things never going as plan in his life.

“Adalwolfa,” Arron commanded from where he stood. Instantly his Zanpakutô changed directions from which the Reishi was flowing. Instead of outer wards, and scattering Reishi out in the air, this time it was being drawn into the blade. Arron was going to continue playing it safe for now; at least until the demon spawn was gone. Right now he was gathering energy for an attack. The change in the airs Reishi was evident as Adalwolfa sucked in the spirit energy. Arron style also changed from bare handed, to one open palm with his left hand and in his right hand was the Zanpakutô. He was ready to attack or defend with his Zanpakutô, Kido, or Hakuda. Now all he had to do was wait as he gathered energy for his blade.

Styn clicked his tongue in annoyance as the Shinigami dropped flat. The demon's claw passed through air in a whoosh of sound as he dropped ever so slowly toward the ground. It wasn't that Styn was using any particular talent or ability to hamper his decent, but so much happened in such a short period of time that there was no other way for his mind to process it. Arron was moving his entire body in a display of practiced and graceful grappling. Styn's feet had still not touched the ground when he suddenly had his minion kicked in his direction. He did however, have more then enough time to raise his hands, catching the little bugger.

This was a great time to assess the damage. Arron's removal of a hand from his sword hilt had weakened the maximum potential of the initial strike. The break down of his footwork had robbed the attack of much of its penetrating power. Katanas were slicing weapons though. Having connected with his attack, the act of continuing to cut while pushing off with his feet ended up recovering a good portion of the cutting force.

In the end the summon had taken a deep but narrow cut that extended about a quarter of the way through its structure. More worrisome was the definitive weakening of that body as Za Koa bonds became severed. Arron's rending of the calcified demonic energy had reduced the amount of time it would remain anchored to the physical plane. Styn suspected that the minion would be good for one more attack at best. He had already pushed the limits of his skill with demon magic to materialize such a strong summon in the first place.

However, there was still the matter of the missing moments when the beast was being kicked like a cannonball. Instinct was normally driven by fear. The construct was only driven by one primary directive. To cut. At no moment during the throw was the creature's ability to attack interrupted. In fact Arron went so far as to close into its shorter range. Wile the connecting points would be limited, there would remain several vulnerable areas during the process where a wild strike might find flesh, if only briefly.

The Zanpakutō was well under the summon's right arm and would not hamper that blade, the shinigami's free hand was under the left armpit. This would put Arron's free arm in a safe position, but did nothing for the rest of his body, to include the shinigami's head and face. Even as the creature was lifted, spun and flung outward it would flail with its bladed arms. Hardly an effective means of doing damage, but it would take a supreme show of luck indeed to escape completely unharmed.

The momentum of the kick powered summon tossed Styn several meters back before it played out. The demon landed roughly in the dry dirt. His clawed hands had bit every so lightly into the creature's back, but it was no worse then a mother cat carefully moving its young. It was still very much in the fight as Styn gave it a light push forward and to the ground. It tore across the open ground toward its target, face twisted in a mask of simulated rage. If allowed to reach Arron it would attack with a flurry of strikes and thrusts.

Styn would take the opportunity to reach into his bag for another trick. His internal energy had finally stabilized and it was time to give it another workout. The demon directed the gathering of Za Koa and began to chant in an almost whisper. "Oh, Touketsu, unleash the lost souls upon these fools." Styn raised his hand pointing toward his foe. Three Psycho Skulls fired off at the end of the incantation, one after another. They were all surrounded in red flames with forward facing horns. Effectively they were projectiles moving at a high rate of speed, albeit a more smart bomb sort of missile .

Styn took note of the flecks of severed Za Koa that Arron had freed in his earlier strike. While the demon couldn't perceive the gathering of ambient reishi in the energy dense atmosphere of soul society, he could easily see the demonic equivalent spiral toward the Zanpakutō. Something had changed about the way the shinigami was attacking, Styn filed the information away for later, as nothing seemed to be happening directly.

The skulls passed around the summon without losing an iota of speed. They were maneuverable enough to dodge certain projectiles and spaced out so that destroying one would not catch the others in their blast radius. The arc of their angle would have them detonate into the ground if dodged, all though all three would not strike at once. The effect would most likely be three separate fiery blasts roughly three meters in diameter each time. They were more then capable of changing directions, but would have to do it in wide sweeping turns as opposed to a sudden shift in direction.

The skulls were moving fast enough that the shinigami would need to use a flash step to close with the summon, if he intended to use it as some sort of shield. The skulls would hardly detonate into the beast unless Arron somehow positioned the creature in the way at the last moment. Even in that case the size of the explosion verses the size of the shield would still leave the shinigami exposed to some of the blast. In response to flash steps the Psycho Skulls would make long arcing turns, much like a plane lining up for the runway. Eventually they would once more be pointed toward Arron and the chase would resume.

"Nicely dodged," Styn called out, lowering his hand as the last skull was launched. He wasn't even out of breath this time. "Now try these on for size." The skulls were a fairly low power investment in comparison to summoning. If the shinigami wanted to keep his distance the demon would have little problem making this a fight of magical endurance. Where his skill might be clumsy, his reserves of strength would more then compensate.

The shocking and immediate presence of a Zanpakutō laid against the side of his neck from behind Styn, had a chilling effect on what small amount of fun he had been milking out of this endeavor. It seemed as though he was just beginning to think of the exchange with Aaron in terms of what kind of game it was becoming. The mental gymnastics had even briefly allowed for some small amount of enjoyment. All of that was now at an end. One on one was kinda like a duel. Being outnumbered wasn't very fun at all.

The blade was pressed firmly, and someone who wasn't armored in demonic sigils might even find a trickle of blood drawn. The placement was great, right up against a major artery. Of course for Styn, being that close to an Zanpakutō allowed him to get a feel for it. The person who wielded this particular blade wouldn't be as tough as Aaron. "Th...that's far enough ryoka," a woman's voice nervously said.

"Be careful we don't know the Shinigami he had been fighting either," a man's voice said from further behind then the woman had sounded. A fair bit further in fact. Most likely he was trying to keep Aaron in view as well.

That is an interesting piece of information. What the heck was that unsung hero doing if not working for the thirteen court guardians?

Shadow fall would appreciate that little tidbit of information. More so then that, Styn would be able to sow a bit of confusion and take a captive now to boot. Raising his voice, hoping that the scapegoat would manage to survive his attacks he called out. "Alright good job Arron Deoradh! Get out of here and rejoin your brothers in hiding. We've got what we came for."

The katana blade slid forward as the woman attempted to silence him with force. She stumbled forward a bit, clearly nervous and confused as to why her blade was not cutting. Too late the more experienced man realized something was wrong. "Wait Rumi! Get back!"

Reaching back casually but with a quickness Styn seized the now much closer woman by the forearm. His third eye had been open just long enough to make sense of the relation of space in his immediate vicinity. He moved too fast for the man, and far, far too fast, for anything Aaron would be able to do so far away and already engaged by his previous multi faceted attack.

A twist and pull of his grasping hand pulled the shorter and weaker woman into the crook of his arm. Her soft breath teased the side of his neck, but she was a fighter and managed to hang onto her blade, even with his clawed appendage digging deeply into her arm. With his free hand Styn ripped a hole in space and dived with the woman straight forward. The other end of the portal was actually a short distance away, exiting at the lip of yet another portal. A shouted kido fired off too late to be helpful.

This was the same gateway Styn had opened before his fight with Aaron. The act of his body moving through it closed it immediately, although the demon was actually curious to see someone follow him. They would find themselves in his own little patch of hell, a demonic training realm that had the ability to provide him with a near endless supply of vitality. Suffice to say its effect on Shinigami wasn't nearly so kind. In fact as soon as he was through the doorway his captive gave one last groan and passed out.

All and all it was a pretty profitable run for Styn. The demon was sure that the Ninth Circle would enjoy his prize at least. How long she would survive their tender administrations was a care for another day. To think that he owed it all to Aaron Deoradh. He'd have to remember to thank the man next time they met.

And how I wonder, will he explain his way out of this one?