Hold The Line: The Claim For Garðabær [Iceland Conflict; Event Mission]

The flames crashed into a wall, a barrier splitting the blast in two and moving around it. Any doubts of one unique soul being about the hoard were crushed in that moment. The blast wasn't the strongest weapon in the fiend's arsenal, but it had more than enough force to rat out any superior foes in the guise of fodder. The blast continued to consume countless souls; the best effort at a defense only sparing a select few on both forces the damnation of Ruvik's power. The Hollow focused, feeling a disturbance not far ahead. The very blast itself began to conflict with a superior force; pushing it back and lessening the destructive impact it had in the landscape. Never the less, those that had already been swept away by the burning current were already lost. It wasn't until the energy got close that it realized just how powerful the disturbance actually was. For the life of him they couldn't even sense a single spiritual energy ahead that could conjure such a power. In the darkness, there shined a single light though. A construct nearly the size of a man giving off the malefic intent it knew very well. But why would such an entity be opposing the demise of thousands?

These questions were put aside as the golden blast dawned upon them. Ruvik cut off the flow to his sokatsui, planning to dodge. There wasn't any time left though. The kido locked him in place with not enough time to gather himself again to move. That left only one option; block and disrupt the blast itself! the Shinigami's eyes narrowed, His arms raised, bracing for the impact about to take place. Time seemed to slow down as the remainder of his own blast fell to nothingness, consumed by the golden light of the unknown adversary's attack. Th e heat from the blast resonated over his skin moments before it struck, the very fabric of space distorting slightly between the two. It even exceeded the strength of an average gran rey cero by a substantial deal. Whoever brought about this certainly was going all out right off the bat in hopes to end this fight quickly. Sadly for them, such a thing wouldn't happen. The blast connected, black energy pouring out from the Shinigami's arms to support their strength and ward off the blast. It stood in place, the Monarch's boots digging into the ground and leaving twin trails in the earth. His sleeves were obliterated, golden lightning crackling between the blast and himself.

The blast pushed him back several feet, but the Shinigami pushed forward. Their skin began to burn off, muscles compressed against the wall of power he fought back against. The slimmer of the darkness cloak reinforced his limbs dozens of times over, condensed to the point that it matched ten hierro layered on top of one another.With one final push, the blast began to split; then exploded. The force rocked the ground, smoke spilling around him and almost hiding the faded images of more attacks to follow. His arms were burnt down to the muscle tissue, blood dripping down to the burnt grass. With more dangers on the way, there wasn't any time to catch a breath. Dark energy flowed over the burns, regenerating the lost flesh and repairing the muscle tissue as he moved. Rather than escape the path of the assault, Ruvik quickly reached for his zanpakto, unsheathing it and taking a leap forward. His speed instantly broke the sound barrier, creating a small sonic boom behind him. Each slash of searing power neared him, an especially powerful light following behind.

The Hollow spoke under the sound of the raging assault, carefully darting just out of the weaker blasts path and allowing them to strike whatever helpless soul remained at the rear flank of shadowfall's battalion. The barrier could surely hold those inferior blasts if they struck, but the last event in the chain could be problematic. The zanpakto in the man's hand began to glow, changing to a form of ethereal white light."Suppress, Dinku." The sword shifted, taking on a longer length of nearly four feet, but still retaining a slim build. The edge became riddled with sharp spikes, each resonating with bits of spiritual energy at the points. The tip of the blade became the sharpest, refined to the point of osmium. Energy gathered in the evolved shikai, the man's eyes looking straight into the cero ahead. It was surprising to see one able to use cero like this in the enemy lines. Could they be a vizard..or something more close to home.

The blade struck the center of the cero, energy erupting from the shikai and meshing with the abruptly paused energy in the blast before him. The ground below it cracked and broke apart once again, but unlike before; a few things changed. After the moment of collision, everything suddenly ceased. The power behind the blast was stripped away and the energy resonating in it dissipated. An enormous golden fog spilled out around the Shinigami, filling the air with excessive amounts of energy. The fog was immediately pulled inward, the very sword that struck the blast absorbing most of the energy that once inhabited it and preparing the weapon for any future threats it needed to tackle. The burst of speed cut off then and there, the Shinigami taking a moment to compose themselves and draw from the remains of the powerful blast left behind.

The mist slowly cleared, the visor of the Monarch looking skyward and looking upon the restored form of the culprit responsible for all the trouble. A smirk crossed the warriors face at the sight of the damage the adversary had taken just trying to get to him and fire as much power off as possible. There was no denying the effort had been successful to a degree. He had barely avoided being in a worse state than that from the first blast, and rejecting the second took far more energy than he wanted to spend this early on in the battle. At the least, his blade was now prepared to defend from the next attack on its own with less fuel from its handler.

Just as the deeps burns on the host's arms finished healing up, the more extensive damage taken by the opposition repaired in an instant. Just what exactly was he dealing with? Not an ordinary piece of fodder at the least. The monster's unique senses picked up on the increasingly malevolent intent of not the man them self, but the weapon they grasped. it pulsated with evil, a spirit fitting of his own unit..But they were only a weapon, grasped in the hand of a foolish soul that sought the path of a righteous man.. The visor glowed taking in information from all of his surroundings, His focus centered heavily on the soul that gave off no energy signature. Instead, he allowed his senses to hone in on the feeling of their blade and the traces of evil locked away inside it.

From what had gone on so far, the parasite could deduce a few things. This entity was at least on the same level as himself, if not more so. Though his power remained restricted, there was no desire to unleash his greater strengths until he saw fit and had a better understanding for what he was up against. Now there remained the physical aspects of what they could do to test. The man could regenerate quickly, possibly even more effectively than himself. Pairing that healing factor with enough durability to withstand a powerful blast like the former directly made for a problem. No defense could last through a quick enough assault though. After the brief pause between destruction and chaos, the image of the Shinigami blurred.

They vanished in an instant with blade in hand. Using their vast skill with shunpo, the puppet crossed through the sky and appeared directly behind the Human. Up close the violent power behind their over sized weapon seemed even more intense, hiding a strength the owner themselves could have feared. Without pause, the Hollow moved for a simple strike, moving at top speeds to deliver a swift kick straight for Nix's back. The swing took a slightly downward curve, bringing a large amount of propelling force behind it that distorted the air and sent a small shock-wave around them. The strike had more than enough force to send one flying with a direct hit if unhindered by a successful block. Ruvik's intent through all of this was to knock them down to the battlefield below and crush the very people the Human just saved from the impact force of their body landing a midst the war zone. He wanted to test their speed, reaction time, focus, and ability to stop themselves from dooming the lives of their comrades should the attack come to be.

All the while the shikai remained in his hand, energy flaring around it from the recently absorbed blast and ready to combat any other monstrous attack the surprising soul intended to throw at him. Unlike Nix, Ruvik didn't intend on ending this quickly, He wanted to draw this out and test just what they were capable of, what their true nature had locked away and if that darkness in their soul could be forced to the surface. it also served as a testing ground for the modified zombie's ability under his power. No matter how much the hero tried to save them, the soldiers here were destined to die. The question remained how long Nix would protect them and stall the inevitable, if he even could.

"A energy absorber!" This was the first thought coming in the males mind when his cheap version of Gran Ray Cero was neutralized just like that. As the golden fog lifted Nix finally clearly saw his enemies appearance. It was a man, tall and muscled, but what seemed off was how big he exactly was. It looked like the only thing he had was muscles. Even the mans face was like that and in so it created this grotesque look of a monster. But it wasn't what surprised him so much. Shraik in his lifetime had seen multiple, hundreds of beings that over pumped themselves with all kinds of drugs to gain more power, but with them there was almost always this sense of primitive animals...And then there was this individual which had only sense of huge ego and high intellect. He definitely didn't like it.

And then his enemy was no more. Using a Shinigamies natural high-speed movement Shumpō the man disappeared. But it didn't require to be a genius to understand what he was planning. And it happened. The Arcanist felt as the air behind him shifted when someone appeared there. His focus failed to turn fast enough to catch the attack, but that wasn't even necessary. Before the attack connecting with his flesh it should stop a centimeter from him as in hitting a soft, but durable structure which can absorb physical attacks. What the Shinigamies sword hit was Nix's Soul Matter which was summoned right now. Being a unique fusion between Reishi and Soul Force, it served the man as his own defense layer. Before Shraik didn't activate it because the mass wasn't so durable in large scale attacks, so seemed a shame to waste it like that. Though now it was perfect and him just the time he wanted to act.

Upon feeling the hit he turned swinging his greatsword in full strength, enhancing the impact speed with Soul Dash, in so boosting the attack three times. If it would strike then without any defense the foe should be cut clearly in half. If the defense would hold it off then the strength together with the impact speed should make the overbuffed enemy to fly quite amount in the direction of the red dome. No matter the result of the counterattack the member of Vanguards would then start to wonder what was the reason of the attacks of his enemy. It didn't feel that strong to actually injure him even without Soul Matter and would only make him hit the...Shraik glanced down at the crowed of people under him. A teasing, dark and in the same time similar voice to Nix spoke in his head.
"Oh, isn't he a interesting fellow! I would love to have a taste of that Hollow over there!" The man acted instantly.

Utilizing to boost his speed for a short burst he disappeared like a exploding sound granite to appear in the next moment between those in the battle. His landing showed many creatures, both Vanguard and Shadowfall, aside, but this wasn't a moment to care about that. Putting both hands together and using Soul Dash to reduce the casting time a golden box appeared in his palms as the man parted them. Afterwards he clapped these palms in so destroying the box. A giant version of this box appeared around the left over troops. They all were swallowed in a gold burst and after a moment there was no one left besides Nix in that place. What he had used was his own version of teleportating Kidō. Not being able to learn it when being a member of "Sabers", he developed his own version of it by being exposed enough times by it. Being a tasking technique the man didn't use it too often, but if the Shinigami wanted to gain the upper hand by using Nix's stupid protector instinct it was worth it to spend some extra energy.

Gasping for air, feeling a little strain on his body and seeing in the computer screen that his energy had dropped by 10% Shraik realized he needs to think a bit more on how he acted. Sacrificing another 1% of his energy the system in his brain issued a command to restore the body in good physical condition. High-Speed Regeneration kicked in and he got back up smiling, seeing fresh as a pickle. Now Nix could fight with no restrictions.

First, ordering his Soul Matter to leave his body, it created a invisible dome 500 meters around the male. After that the Arcanist started to recharge. All energy scattered in the field from the battle was being sucked as in a black hole. The Reishi and Soul Force reserves were slowly filled back, as well, as his inner computer detected that another two new energy types were acquired at the moment. While not useful at the moment Shraik smiled as he saw new possibilities in future. If the shield would be broken at any moment he would stop the process to continue the fight. If the Shinigami wouldn't be able to brake the defense Nix would pull the shield back inside him when all the outer energy had been absorbed near him. His reserves would be back then to 100%. While this was a good change there was the fact that he can't repeat it too often or his body will start to "leak" and reject the power all together. Additionally, now the power in the air was much less because of now in the battle field being only them two.

"I apologize for the stall! Needed some refreshing to do! Now, let me introduce myself, Nix Shraik! Just a simple member of Arcanist branch of Vanguards!" The man had now collected himself and smiled at the weird Shinigami in front. But what followed after this introduction was him again outstretching his hand. The Bane Sword dropped previously would then reappear in the mans hand, the old one splitting in Hollofic Reishi, and burst in golden energy. With this energy a ear piercing cream of joy, hatred and killing intent would burst out as Nix himself would have made it. The man then would release multiple slashes of golden energy, trying to follow the movement of his enemy. The strength of these slashes varied from being a strong Cero to something really close to Gran Ray Cero. There was no pattern in these strengths and with each slash the mad laughter became just louder and louder.

Nix released so many slashes that in one moment they completely covered the view from the Arcanist himself. It was then when he pushed his Soul Dash to maximum to appear further away from the Shinigami. He would then speak to the man again.
"You are a Shinigami, right? Do you know this Kidō?" The Bane Sword was once again let go to fall on the ground. Then Nix started to chant,
"First Song - Halting wrap!" Suddenly a spiritual fabric appeared around the man and started to wrap around him, binding the Shinigamies movements and oppressing his spiritual power.
"Second Song - Hundred Serial Bolts!" Numerous metal bolts manifested and dropped from the air, pinning the man to the ground. All this was augmented by the Soul Dash which Nix still left active.
"Final Song - Full Ban Great Mount! Bakudō 99, BANKIN!!!" Speaking the last words a immense iron block in the size of a two story home appeared above Nix's enemy and dropped on him. If the Shinigami had time or wish to pay attention to the Arcanist at the moment of casting he would then sense the true spiritual presence of the man, though it would be under the level of someone who should be able to cast a Kidō of this level.

But even after this Nix wasn't quite done. If the binding spell would work he would sacrifice even more energy to use the chance of his enemy being bound. The Bane Sword returning in his hands Shraik would point it at his enemy and speak.
"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness, Hadō 90 - Kurohitsugi!!!" A black box surrounded the man with the sealing Kidō together. Different swords and other weapons would then pierce this box and anyone inside it. While the Bakudō cast before would protect him, the damage still done to the person should be...Painful enough. Done all he could Nix would then stand and observe the black box in front of him, as inside his body the computer would scream that his energy had fallen to 70% in one goal. Repeated use of so much powerful Kidō would be now not only stupid, but also lethal.

Ruvik immediately switched the settings on his visor when the kick failed to induce the desired effect. It certainly had enough force to do so, but...Oh, that was it! The energy encasing the Human's body became clear as a crystal where it was otherwise hidden. These thoughts were cut when his opposition began to turn, bringing their blade with them for what looked like an extremely powerful slash. Using the foothold of the man's own barrier, the puppet pushed with even greater force on the boot to kick off the back and flip through the air. Normally this would be an easy out, but the extreme length of the sword managed to barely cut him. The edge ripped through his jacket, cutting the flesh under it and causing blood to spill out over the leather. Nearly as quickly as the damaged was inflicted, black energy manifested over the wound like a cloud. It was like a flash, appearing only to vanish and patch the wound in a fraction of a moment. The Monarch ceased their momentum some distance from Nix, observing them carefully with a malevolent smile of interest. He always loved to test the character of those he faced and find out their true identity under the mask they acted under; even if it was just one of delusion for potential peace on this Earth.

All the while, the sword in Ben's hand rapidly consumed the energy around it. The battlefield below was like a bountiful reserve, easily restoring the lost energy from the brief clash earlier in a short period of time. He wasn't one to rush things though, so rather than bluntly charge back toward his adversary, he stood in wait in the air. Reishi connected with the air, allowing him to float on it like it were any other surface. It could have been something more, but this kind of opponent was never really a let down. They were common, but it wasn't always a bad thing. The hero type were some of the most entertaining to mess with, and finding a way to crush their indomitable will proved a fun challenge. The soldier watched the opposition carefully,. not getting in the way of their following act. His visor continued to scan the energy signature and make up of the kido they performed, noting the minor changes from traditional reishi that fueled them and the exceptional level they were performed. The very concept of using both kido and cero-like constructs as weapons was interesting, but this man couldn't be a Vizard, could they? It didn't seem like it... Perhaps it was some new breed of genetic experimentation like the very subject it inhabited. All these questions and more would be answered soon enough. It only required a bit of patience.

Ruvik only chuckled as the soldiers were taken away from this place. Seemed Nix could deduce his plan fairly quickly, but they left out some key details, some that were sure to be revealed in the near future depending how this battle progressed. At that point his own energy had been restored, the blade no drawing in power from the world into itself to fuel future applications of its ability. Of all the things this subject offered, the ability to enslave their spirit and access such a potent ability proved to be the most effective by far. It only wondered when the resistant spirit would fall entirely and surrender the entirety of their power to it. The visor picked up on the changes in energy, the layer once encasing the Human expanding outward and generating a barrier of sorts..The question here was why? They had nothing left to protect as far as they knew. The answer soon became clear as the energy scattered throughout the air was pulled toward the soul, being absorbed into them much the same way as the blade itself had been doing since its release. This one was just full of surprises, weren't they? Hopefully that trend continued. Never-the-less, allowing them to fully recover after all that wasn't a good idea. They had lost quite a bit acting to defend their kin, and those decisions needed to have consequences.

The Shinigami raised their zanpakto up to the barrier, lightly poking it with end of the blade. A surge of energy pushed through the barrier, using the very power absorbed from the blast earlier. It deconstructed thee power from the inside, weakening the bonds and drastically lowering the effectiveness of the shield. Though only an assumption, he guessed the barrier was the cause of the distorted energy flow. Verification remained only seconds away. The barrier wouldn't turn to fog, but the amount of energy in the air outside it increased substantially and the defense it offered had been reduced to only a fraction of what it once was! Balling up a hand into a tightly compact fist, the host struck the barrier with an incredibly powerful punch, potentially shattering a large portion of it with the power behind the strike. The blade in his other hand glowed brightly with reishi, nearing the point where it needed to disband more of it before it became too full with power. For the first time since they began to fight, the puppet spoke directly to the man he faced off against, his tone and speech highly unfitting of the look they dawned. "You know, taking all of the energy for yourself is rude. It isn't my fault you wasted so much of it trying to give the damned a few more minutes to live."

The Shinigami remained still from that point, continuing to watch the Human act both visually and by scanning the energy in the area and how it reacted to everything. Very few pieces of technology had been put in place for this body on short notice, but the sensor was definitely helpful on its own alone. From his on unique means of sensory, Ruvik was a tad perplexed. The blade resonated with a furious hatred and malicious nature fitting of a warrior, but the man holding it fit the nature of their actions far more. Even if they did intend to rend his life in two, the feeling of it wasn't dedicated; only a consideration anyone resurrected in their mind during battle at most Perhaps it was a spirit of some kind, a secondary force that fueled the man and gave them the power to do as they have done. The similarities between the two of them were staggering, amusingly so. Of course the main thing that split them apart was their nature, nearly complete opposites on karma's scale.

"Nix, is it?" He retorted casually. " A pleasure to meet you. I've been waiting for someone to show up. It got dull standing out here with nothing to do...i was only expecting the traditional fodder though. Glad to see I was wrong. My name is complicated, so most simply refer to me as Ruvik." The Monarch took in a long breath, focusing on the sight of the Human. Where the energy could once barely be seen,it had gone dark once again. The way their energy didn't resonate from their body as others did was an interesting feature, but given all the tools at his disposal, it wouldn't be a substantial issue. He readied himself to move as the blade returned to its master. The weapon was an interesting one. The size allowed it to cover a much wider area than most weapons, but it must have been problematic to move with such a large piece of equipment on hand. Just what were they aiming for with these endless assaults? Surely the cost wouldn't be worth it. The defending side tended to have a small advantage in battle when they acted calmly and precisely. An overly aggressive foe simply wasted their energy against one properly prepared. Hence the means of winning as an aggressor was to catch a target completely off guard. that wouldn't be very easy for the opposing Vanguard's blade.

"I have one question for you, Nix." Ruvik spoke as the barrage of energy darted toward him. There was little, if any room between the cero-like blasts and each had great destructive power behind them. Using the visor he could feel them out more precisely though, visually detecting the difference in power between each attack much easier than most could sense. The first blast neared him, and rather than dodge it he took a stand against it. His blade swung with great precision, the strength and speed behind the motion cutting clean through the attack and severing it in two. Stopping one of the dozens wasn't going to help much though. When the stronger attacks got close, the Monarch quickly moved on his feet; evading the strongest of the barrage while carefully striking through the less refined arcs of energy. It appeared as if he had been consumed by it all, when in truth the man cut his way through the blinding current; selectively breaking through only the weakest blasts to the other side. All that he avoided struck the crimson dome behind him, slowly cracking it and weakening the structure over time. Smoke ripped through the air, clouding the vision of anything inside it. The lasts constructs of the barrage were cut through or avoided; the Shinigami appearing on the other side of the chaos with no wounds, but minor burns over his attire. Any real damage inflicted in the chaos had been repaired in moments by his own energy.

"Would you be willing to leave here?" He continued as the Human's assault took on its next step, kido. Even ones as powerful as that were in this soul's reach? How interesting! Energy began to distort around him from the kido taking form, but he had no intention of being fully ensnared by any of it. His blade quickly tapped the ground, a pulsar of the sword's power stretching through the air and ripping apart any other form of energy it came into contact with. Of course such a powerful kido wouldn't be stripped away of its entire existence so easily, but that wasn't the point. Where it didn't negate it, th spiritual fabrics were drastically weakened in effectiveness and durability. He didn't try to avoid it, rather gathering his power inside the genetically enhanced muscles that adorned him. The fabric wrapped around his body, binding the arms to his sides and preventing any direct movement...for all of half a second. Just as the second song was being prepared, the Shinigami's body exploded with physical strength! His muscles bulged, influenced by a darker interior force that took them to new heights! The already impressive strength, speed, and durability the subject had been given was doubled! It was about time the parasite started taking this more seriously after all. Going from a restrained level of might to ascending beyond unknown limits was sure to surprise anyone. With the new found strength and the weakened bounds in the fabric, it was all too easy for the Monarch to rip through the binding and dart forward before the next part of the seal could connect. He narrowly avoided the bolt in the direct he faced from the second song, eyes now centered on Nix with a revived look of predatory malice.

Ruvik vanished once again, boosting his speed even higher with shunpo. This time the effects were even more extreme from his naturally increased speed! the ground was torn asunder at the point he leaped from, but by the time could notice he would already be upon the Human. They would regret losing their blade fo a moment, even if it could be summoned back nearly as quickly. The pace exceeded super conic, distorting everything around him and creating a monstrous current of wind. Instead of going for an attack from behind, the monster appeared directly in front of Nix, an attack already in motion with speed and power drastically higher than a limit he failed to display previously. A punch rocketed forward straight for the man's face! Whether they could co jure a barrier in time or not may have made little difference, depending on how much force that structure could absorb. The fist carried enough momentum and force to ignite the hydrogen in the air itself, giving the fist a red appearance from the heat and air friction heating up the flesh. The strike carried more than enough power to break through hierro and shatter the skull; knocking various pieces of bone into the brain and compressing the organ itself. Just as intense as the moment of impact would be the transferred velocity if the attack succeeded. Anything ot struck would go flying like a bullet straight for the ground and land with multiple tons of force striking every part of their being. Flames consumed the both of them from a physical explosion the strike created, smoke bursting outward around them.

Whether successful or the resourceful Human managed to block the power-packed strike once again, the puppet would finally finish their phrase.Of course, if any counter attack were made in that short measure of time; avoiding it was top priority to be taken first before words. From what it had seen so far, the parasite assumed this man was highly oriented in ranged combat, so keeping an edge with close quarters was a sound strategy for now. Going for a fatality this early on wouldn't have been much fun though. Given their healing factor; surviving shouldn't have been a problem. While not lethal to one of their caliber, it certainly was painful and a defining mark of just how powerful the genetic abomination could become. As the dust settled from the second peak of conflict between the two and the second pause took place, he continued. "I'm giving you the chance to leave now before your cause brings about more death to the people than you could even imagine. You think you took the innocents out of the equation, but there is still an entire city behind us of souls that have nothing to do with Shadowfall. I can assure you, if you keep up like this, that barrier will fall and they will all perish." The puppet smiled, its three means of sensory all locking in on the man by any means possible to fully understand their position and actions. Even with all this power at its disposal, recklessness could still mean an untimely demise for anyone. "Or do their lives not matter since they don't side with anyone?" It eagerly awaited the Human's reply, whether that response be another barrage of attacks or a pained response as their body healed Only time will tell.

Nix's eyes widen in shock as the man before him struggled and broke through the kidō he just casted a moment ago. Was he really that strong to simple escape the most powerful Bakkotō Shinigamies possessed? No, Shraiks inner computer showed him energy readings of surrounding and they clearly stated that the straps were weakened and then broken. This fact only made the dark Shinigamies powers more dreadful then they were a moment ago. But there weren't for him much to think further as his enemy appeared almost next to the male and landed a punch, strongest the Arcanist had ever felt. The only thing he managed to do before hand was to push his Soul Matter from his outer body to brains. Then the fist connected, sound of thunder filled the field, flames and smoke erupted and like a meteoroid landed on the ground, creating a huge crater.

The pain was intense. Not near what Nix felt after fighting Zwei, but surely close to that. His skull was crushed and quite few of muscles reduced to a pulp. If it weren't for the males high durability it could probably even be more intense. As the dust and smoke cleared the view from the Soul Evolved Human a cripple, once Nix, stood in the center of the crater. The males face was just a mess of pieces of bones, flesh and blood. The left arm had a giant spike of stone through it and his whole naked body was covered in blood. Then upon a invisible command all these injuries healed instantly, the stone spike was pushed out o his body and the man returned to his former, healthy appearance. Cracking his neck the Arcanist spoke,
"Ouch, dude! You know how it hurt. Regenerating your own head and brains isn't that pleasant!" Actually that wasn't the truth. If Shraiks brains would have sustained any damage the man would be dead by now. The only thing that saved him was the shield around it. But it was necessary for the Ruvik person to believe in him and not try something so dangerous again.

What was now the problem to decide how to fight the man. It was obvious any kind of energy formation were bad idea. Especially those that connected with his sword. So it meant Nix should avoid the use of them. But what then? In meanwhile Ruvik was talking to him, opening up a question Shraik wasn't eager to answer.
"There is no such thing as innocents! There is no such thing as not sided! Those are only excuses to avoid responsibility for your actions and decisions. I saved those people before only because of my stupid urge to protect. When that barrier will fall I will try to save all those who will be needed protection. I know there will be many death's today...But sacrifices are needed for success..." A weak smile poped up on the males face, as he melancholicilly stared at the red dome further away. The Bane Sword dissipated in Hollowic reishi and the computer notified that his energy storage had been restored to 85% while both man were talking.
"Of course, my words are meaningless to you Ruvik, right!?" A sad chuckle escaped his lips as the inner computer was given with one commend. "Concentrate energy in physical combat!"

Feeling the adjustments done to his body Nix launched himself at the Shinigami with a giant boost of speed through Soul Dash. His leg raised in the level of the mans head and moved in the direction of it. If the man would attempt to block he would then realize that Shraik forced a change of direction and his leg would then go side-way, forcing the enemies body down in the earth. Nix would follow his foe, trying to keep close combat and land as many punches, as he can in short moment of time. Behind each punch followed a cero blast, but concentrated in a pin-point laser no bigger then a half a centimeter in radius. These laser had a good potential to go through almost any defense, though the damage done by them isn't big, if not used wisely. What the Arcanist tried to do with them is strike vital spiritual points of a soul. Even if healed afterwards, the shock of them being damaged could quite disrupt the energy flow of ones body. If he even managed to in such way strike the Shinigamies soul chain, the center of his chest, it could make him completely paralyzed for a short period of time, as well, as brake his activated shikai.

If Ruvik would manage to hit Nix with his sword the man would come to quite surprising realization. Upon connecting with his bare flesh it would feel and seem like the mans body was made from mud or pudding. His strike from the kinetic force, if not stopped quickly enough, would go completely through. Nix would in the same time embrace his enemy in a bear hug to not allow his enemy to act. In that time the hand which would be in his body would be bonded with other of his organs and made like a part of Nix's body. Upon feeling the process is done Shraik would let go his enemy and stop standing on the reishi particles, in this way letting gravity do its thing. What had happened to Ruvik's arm is that Shraik had utilized his knowledge of energy and magic to turn it from reishi to his own actual flesh. In this way the control of it would be lost to the Shinigami whose rest body is still and construct of energy. Upon falling down this limb would easily pull off, leaving the male without a arm and sword. Nix would once again land down on the ground but with less noise or destruction. Without hesitating he would then take the stolen Zanpakutō and open his mouth. Golden liquid would spill out and cover the sword, sending out a powerful spiritual presence. This liquid was the mans own spiritual pressure which had properties of negating any kind of energy. As Zans were made purely from reishi this was a good way to destroy them, even if it will come with heavy drawbacks. Shraiks face would cover with cold sweat, this time from mental strain of actually pulling out his deep locked down energy. His energy level had dropped to 65%from only this.

No matter from result in one point it would lead him to stopping the fight and in casual, but a bit tired voice, speak to the dark Shinigami.
"I apologize! Forgot to mention that I got my sword only few months ago. Before that I mostly utilized close combat attacks. Don't ask me why they put me as Arcanist. I have no idea myself!" The man laughed, but it died out soon enough. They were still in a battle.

The sound of the ground breaking apart was like music, the destruction caused by the Human's impact on the ground echoing outward like an earthquake for a few brief moments. The crimson dome that protected the city even lightly shook under the pressure of it all. Dust filled the air, consuming the impact zone and the newly formed crater from the explosive punch. Embers rained down in the landscape below, the smoke around the Shinigami fading and revealing that same, malicious grin on his face. Seconds passed as he waited in anticipation for how much damage his adversary had taken, even knowing how fruitless it all would be given their healing factor. The pain and punishment alone was enough to satisfy the fiend for these opening acts in their exchange. the dust and debris cleared below, the scattered bits of blood, stone, and flames painting the landing site like a piece of art. In the center of it all remained the beaten, near-death looking man that stood on the side of Vanguard. Their broken state may have only been an illusion ina way, but the pain resonating in their body was all too real.

Ruvik stretched his arms, the blade in his hand acting as a sponge and pulling in as much energy as it could from the surroundings. In this exchange, that effect was more important than ever. With Nix constantly restoring his supply from the world around them, reducing the amount they could restore was important. The steel glowed a vibrant blue, brightening up the darkening sky above them. The crimson light slowly gave way to darkness and the afternoon reached its meeting with dusk. Unfortunately with how fast battle progressed, he feared he would never come to see the world completely enveloped in night by its conclusion. The shade cast by the clouds and the ever falling rain made it nice enough though, a sufficient field for its wrath to encompass. The Shinigami's hair began to fall flat, the water soaking his attire and flesh as it picked up. As expected, the very wounds he had inflicted on the soul healed in only moments, repaired and bringing the soul back to peak physical conditions. It was difficult to tell if they were even becoming tired from repairing all those injuries, but hiding fatigue was a key tactic in battle. Perhaps the soul was smarter than your average run of the mill hero.

It stood in the sky, listening to the man's words with la neutral expression now covering his face. Ruvik found it interesting but also annoying that they would suggest they could even heal their brain, Usually that did the trick in most encounters, but it seemed this one needed a more extensive means to an end. So in order to kill them would require one of two mediums. The first was to produce a power so extensive it could wipe them out of thi realm entirely. Unfortunately that wouldn't be too likely with the power they hd accumulated and how durable their body proved to unfortunately be. It exceeded the natural resilience of the specially crafted form it inhabited, even with their purpose directed for the very concept of enduring excessive damage. "If you don't enjoy it, you should leave while you still can. the offer won't be open for too much longer you know. After all, I'm only getting warmed up." The tone was less maliciously vindictive and more blunt in that phrase. Whether it was a bluff or not was for them to decide, but it wouldn't be too much a worry for one that also kept their strength under lock and key.

The Humans reply sounded ll the way to the sky above, the Shinigami's ear picking up on it as he regained his combat stance. The blade pulsated with energy, the excess energy going to fuel the augmentation in physical prowess his body accessed. It was unorthodox how such a bulky entity could maintain speed so uncharacteristically high for their appearance. Even more surprising than that had been some of the short displays of speed from the very adversary before him. Humans had certainly changed vastly from what they once were, reaching a new league of power and ability to contend with the spiritual superpowers that dominated the world. Yet in all this new age of evolution, the Demon in a mask of flesh retained the most basic form that people had fought for millennium; a hollow, but unlike any other. "There aren't? Not in war of course not. Any soldier is only a pawn to their king and embody their will and sin...But the civilians, all they could do is remain here without a means to even interact with the chaos we bring to their world."

The malefic smile returned to him, stance ready for the coming assault from the Human below. Ruvik took in a deep breath as he spoke one last time before the next exchange between them took place. "Sacrifices are just failures one makes in the line to their goal. If you want someone to live, they will live if you're really going to succeed. If you can't do that, then your goal won't be a complete success. " His eyes narrowed, focusing on the Human below with weapon at the ready. It was drawing near the time to take things up a notch, but he wanted to learn just a bit more before that time comes. Curiosity knocked at the back of his mind; just what power did this soul hide in their peak of power? They had displayed many surprises thus far, and it didn't count on that theme ending anytime in the near future. " You know if your words were pointless, I wouldn't be asking for them. Combat feels less alive when people are always quiet the entire time. "

Then it happened. The Human burst from the ground, ascending at speeds difficult to track, let alone properly combat. The abilities their kind had attained astounded him, so much so that he'd be sure to take some inspirations from .them soon enough after the battle reached its climax. The ever present speed presented by the soul dash made evasion difficult, pushing his response right into Nix's plan. As they were upon him, the Shinigami raised their arm to block the kick in iits tracks Only when it connected the direction had been slightly altered. The momentum and power combined were too much to resist, the force knocking the Shinigami's body downward and rapidly descending toward the earth below. A shortwave rippled through the air from the collision; distorting the world around them. Without pause more attacks were upon him. It seemed the Human was maintaining their aggressive approach; darting toward him with a barrage of strike about to be unleashed. The visor around his face picked up on trace amount of energy, as dim as it may have been. The unique ability that restricted the out pour of Nix's power made it difficult to pick up on anything, but just moments before application it could be seen clearly..

Ruvik took a moment to stop his falling momentum, exerting physical and spiritual power to null it down to a manageable point. He now levitated only a few dozen feet above the ground with a barrage of strikes incoming before him. With little time to react, he pushed one punch aside with his free arm, unable to block it entirely. A sharp pain shot through his body and soul as the source of the energy became apparent. A vastly shrunk cero-like construct shot through his body and soul itself. It didn't cause any extensive damage, but the way it was aimed distorted the spiritual energy in his body, if only slightly. Allowing it to connect too many times could be deadly. on top of that the soul dash was too difficult to keep up with, even with all the advancements applied to the Shinigami's body. Before the second strike could touch him, the Shinigami tapped into their own high-speed movement once more. Alongside the naturally augmented speed at its disposal, this gave the motion a pace few could match and allowed a narrow escape from the second strike.

The burst of speed took him from the defending party to the offense yet again. He had no intention of keeping up a defensive front for too long in this battle. the jump in sped ended directly above and behind the attacking man. With blade ready, the Shinigami twisted their body around and made a skillful slash toward the man's back; energy glowing brighter than ever along the blade in preparation for a potentially game changing technique. Assuming the attack succeeded, even in success proved trickery. The blade passed right through the Human's flesh, not even harming them in the slightest! The excessive force behind it in order to even break their presumed durable form took it clean through them, ruining the set up on what could have been the end. Fortunately the motion of the attack and the angle protected him from an unknown reversal that could have spelled disaster.

Upon this realization, Ruvik quickly jumped on a patch of his own reishi, propelling himself skyward and away from the unorthodox ability he just witnessed. Did this man have extensive use of intangibility as well? All these techniques were fascinating, enough ti interest the unseen parasite a great deal. Where as most found such things troublesome. it opened a large line of possibilities fro the creature's future. With blade at the ready and this knowledge at the forefront of the man's mind, he waited cautiously, thinking on his next course of action carefully. This fight would come down to taking advantage of a fatal weak point and exploiting it while avoiding any fatal mistakes until that point showed itself. With how many things ha been revealed thus far, the scope of Nix's abilities must have been drawing to an end for new tricks, but it could never be certain on that.

"Oh? Well in the same light I only got mine a few days ago. Interesting isn't it? " The shinigami prepared themselves for the next attack, if one would even come to be. Normally the fiend always took on a more offensive approach in battle, but with such a vast array of unknown abilities to learn about, taking on a wait-and-counter form of attack fit much better. When everything cleared up, then the true power of the parasite will rise. Its red eyes stared directly at Nix, watching them for the slightest sign of weakness or fatigue. This could very well lead to an act of artificial tire, but as a master in the same art, few ploys could fully trick the unknown abomination. "Oh, and by the way." It continued to speak in the short pause between destruction and peace. "be sure to win this if you continue to press onward. If I have to waste too much more energy on you, I'm going to personally ensure the death of every soldier you cast away from this place and any that reside with them..And maybe if I'm bored I'll even send the city to oblivion!" A wicked chuckled followed the remark, vile intent coaxing every word that just left the Shinigami's mouth.

Nix nodded listening to his enemies casual warning. While a bit surprised about the fact that it may destroy the city it protected now everything else the male already figured out himself. The strange Shinigami had already proved to be a being of vile and murderous nature. The fact it was planning on killing those Shraik just saved only strengthened the conclusion about him.
"Well, I won't care when I'm dead, so may as well win this thing!" And even while saying this he tried to come up with a way to defeat his foe. Energy attacks were generally useless. The attacks with microscopic Cero attacks proved the mans sword was the source of his annoying power, but even knowing this it seemed quite hard to fight him just close combat. The man seem to be a close fighter himself and in truth the Arcanist had no intention to find out all tricks this guy had. There should be a way for him to fight ranged without triggering the Zanpakutōs power.

Than the thought stroked him hard. While all his powers were energy-based multiple creatures on Earth had natural offensive abilities. Nix even knew multiple "Sabers" members whose power set contained only nature given powers. Powers that weren't based on supernatural energy. Data flooded the males cybernetic brains as he couldn't control himself from smiling. Being able to manipulate with ones own body had many perks. Issuing multiple commands which will take effect only later in the battle, Shraik entered his first Soul Evolution Stage. When sensing it should like nothing had happened...Only there of course was a moment when it seemed that he had exploded. But then this presence disappeared and everything was as it should be. The Vanguard members energy had boosted and the computer showed it was 100%. A little strain was on his Anima Stone, but with its durability that wasn't a big problem. With the moment a part of his true power was released the computer was done with the first adjustments to his physical make-up.

He again shot himself at Ruvik, this time only utilizing his natural speed combined with enhanced kinetic force. This was the first experiment on the natural abilities. He sacrificed amount of energy to boost the jump strength and then used his bodies own electricity which was fed by his supernatural energy to mess with the kinetic energy of his jump to make it similar to a high-speed movement. Visually it was similar to a weakened version of Soul Dash. What was the biggest difference to it that the land under his feet received a minor and visible amount of damage, as well, as this kind of movement was quite harder to control at the given moment.

In so Nix raised his fist to once again to punch the guy. No matter if the Shinigami would try to strike back faster or just simply avoid the attack, Shraik would suddenly again utilize his Soul Dash which was now 4 times faster do to his release forms enchanting capabilities and appear above the man. He would then swing his fist to him, but as the male would be too far to reach them they would connect. Though massive, pure kinetic force would be released similar to what he used before to jump. With destructive speed which was increased thanks to the same Soul Dash, this force, if managed to connect, would feel like building was now landing on him and, if Ruvik's strength would be not enough, push him on the ground creating yet again another crater. While the Shinigami was dealing with taking care of the assault Nix was charging the electricity each human has in their bodies but in way larger amounts then one could gather. Sparks would start to crawl around his arms.

If the man would be pinned down on the ground by the kinetic force then once it dissipated a line of pure electricity would be fired at him, striking the males body and bringing thousands after thousands of volts pure, natural power to his body. Not containing any Reishi, Soul Force or such Nix was quite sure that the mans sword shouldn't be capable of absorbing this blast too. If Ruvik had avoided the kinetic force punch than using Soul Detection Shraik would attempt to locate the mans position and release the gathered power there. This blast, if connected, would last for four to five seconds in which mostly anyone without special electricity resistance would be roasted not only from outside, but also from inside. But it wasn't all what he had for his experiments.

Another thing that had drawn the Arcanists attention was that the Shinigamies sword had a pattern how it absorbed energy. It seemed that it had its own limit how far it could go, similar to Nix. He wanted to try and see if it was true. Manifesting the Bane Sword again he would target it at the guy, first release his Soul Dash and apply it on the sword in his hands. A sting in the males head said that he should stop using the high speed movement so much, but it was necessary to push the feeling away for a time being. In astonishing speed a golden orb would collect at the tip of his sword and release a ray four times stronger then the regular Gran Ray Cero. A sea of golden energy would then be released on the target, swallowing his body and pushing Nix away in the same time.