Hurricane[Izumi, Solomon]

Solomon had found that, in his line of work, there was never a dull moment to be had. From the moment he joined the Vandenreich, he had thrown himself into a whirlwind of events. Newfound companions, terrifying battles, a sense of purpose in the aftermath. He pondered every now and then, to a strong degree, the merit of his decision. As always, his answer to that question had always traced back to that one defining moment; a single battle that altered his outlook on life - where he desperately wanted to protect those who firmly believed in him, those who risked their own lives so that he lived to see another day. Whenever he recalls that memory, his contemplation is rendered meaningless. That was where he had found his resolve - to become a pillar of lightning, to blaze forth a path for those who suffered in this world, for those couldn't defend themselves no matter how hard they tried. Of course, Solomon wanted nothing in return for this pursuit. He simply viewed it as the correct course of action. Optimists would consider it heroic, pessimists would consider it a fool's pursuit. Solomon considered it his ideal purpose. It was his duty, after all.

Currently, he was in the midst of fulfilling that duty. In a rural, almost forested area separated from the city, Solomon thundered across the sky. Like a bolt of lightning, he roared into action, his sword striking true against a group of hollows who had reportedly been causing quite the disturbance. From his point of view, it was a group of hollows resembling various kinds of animals. According to the Sternritter's reports, they took advantage of unsuspecting travelers, hunting them down in moments of vulnerability and fear. Locked in combat, he's faced with odds that are far from ideal. Six versus one. Yet, the number matters little. He will see his duty fulfilled, ensuring that not another soul will fall victim to this gathering of beasts.

Izumi had a job to do; it was the one thing she kept doing even as a rogue shinigami. She did her best to help protect the soul cycle. As she was running through the forest, trying to get to where she sensed the hollow, a greater energy shot passed her. Sooner than she expected, that same energy was locked in battle with the very hollow she was hunting down. She sped up, just in case the person would need some assistance. She slid to a stop in the clearing and took quick note of what was going on. Six hollow versus one young boy. She wouldn't turn away now. Izumi took a deep breath and stepped out into the battlefield.

Two of the hollow noticed her presence and howled to alert the others. Izumi took that moment to raise her index and middle finger toward the howler. "Hadō number four, Byakurai." Izumi shouted and a line of blue colored energy shot from her fingers in the shape of a lightning bolt, scorching the mask of the hollow, but not destroying it. "I'm here to help, but be still be careful. I am not the best combatant."

Solomon noted Izumi's presence as she arrived, scorching the mask of one of the hollows who had attempted to alert the others of her presence. Assuming an offensive stance, he simply motioned his body toward her, as a means of keeping her within his point of view. Any assistance was welcomed, and he would simply assist her in kind.

"Understood. Follow my lead, then."

Stepping in front of her, Solomon would swing his sword forward, unleashing a bolt of lightning to subdue the beast whose mask had been scorched by Izumi. Turning his head towards the others, he raced forward to combat a pair of wolflike hollows charging toward them. Another hollow, resembling an alligator, turned it's attention toward Izumi, firing a pair of bala in her direction.

The young man seemed to accept her help, good. After he finished off the one she attacked, five remained: two wolf, one alligator, a ten foot tall praying mantis, and a thirty foot snake. Izumi assumed the larger two were going to be the real problems here, so getting rid of them would be better, right? Wrong. The alligator fired two ball her direction. She twirled out of the way of the first, but the second struck her left shoulder. The snake moved to slither back around her, blocking off her escape, as the praying mantis attempted a strike with it's pincher-like claw.

Izumi unsheathed her zanpakuto while jumping out of the way of the praying mantis strike. It quickly came in for another strike with it's other claw, but she brought her sword up and stopped it. Pushing back against it, the mantis hollow pulled the claw back as the alligator shot another bala. She was able to barely jump out of the way, but she jumped back into a strike from the snake, it's large head slamming into her back and sending her flying to the other side of the field. She slid to a stop, her back coming to rest against a tree as the alligator crawled to her.

"Hadō number four, Byakurai," Izumi repeated the previous kido again, aiming at the mouth of the alligator hollow as it opened its mouth for another bala. She fired, the same crack of blue lightning, but with a bit more power behind it. The lightning struck the alligator hollow, killing and disintegrating it. She stood, facing the last two hollow, her zanpakuto firmly in her right hand. Her left side... was pretty injured.

Solomon's confrontation with the wolflike hollows had proved successful. Two strokes of lightning had stilled their attempt at offense in an instant, a follow up cleave had bookended their existence as he slashed through the pair of wolves. Since she was viewed as the weaker party, it seemed as though the remaining hollow had decided to take advantage, attacking Izumi in earnest. She managed to eliminate the alligator, but the large snake and the praying mantis continued to race toward her during a moment of vulnerability. Activating his blut arterie in concert with Hirenkyaku, Solomon thundered past the the praying mantis, cutting it's head off entirely, directing his gaze toward the Snake. Thrusting his blade forward, he loosed a bolt of electrified reishi forward to stun the snake's movements, presenting the shinigami with an opportunity to land the finishing strike.

Izumi tensed from the pain, as the final two ran at her. The young man gave her a reason and the time to try something she hadn't for a while. She began chanting the incantation for shakkaho. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!" Izumi said, pointing the palm of her hand at the snake as the mantis' head hit the ground. "Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" The lightning struck the snake, stunning it and giving Izumi time to cast the kido. "Hadō number thirty-one, Shakkahō!"

A blast of red energy formed in front of her palm. Upon finishing the incantation, the energy shot forward in the form of a ball, and blasted the snake over its mask. The full powered kidō broke the hollow mask, completely shattering one side as the other cracked burned. A loud howl filled the surrounding forest before the snake fell and died like the others before it. Izumi dropped her arms to her side and took a deep breath, wincing as she looked at her left arm, but felt the pain in her ribs too.

"You idiot..." Izumi thought, dropping to her knees. "What were you thinking?"

The battle had concluded, with six hollow meeting their end at the hand of the Shinigami and quincy. Solomon had landed down beside Izumi as the woman dropped toward the ground. Solomon gently propped her body up, forming a layer of reishi underneath her so that she could rest against something other than the ground. His spirit weapon vanished as he sat down beside her, pulling a pair of bandages from his left pocket, offering to treat any wounds. He was a gentleman at heart, and the idea of allowing her to walk around while her body was compromised hardly sat well with him.

"Thanks for the assist out there, miss. If it mean you avoiding your injuries, though, I would've certainly preferred handling them myself. Even so, at the very least, let me remain with you until you can move properly. My name is Solomon Richter."

Izumi was surprised that he helped prop her up. She watched him closely. Now that the battle was over, she needed to assess him more. He accepted her help, which is a point in his direction. His reflex was to make her comfortable, another point. He gained another point even offering to treat her injuries, though she quickly waved that assistance off. "No. No, thank you," Izumi said, shaking her head.

Izumi took a deep breath, deciding that this boy wasn't going to cause her any problems, at least now. "Don't worry about my injuries. I'll be fine soon enough," Izumi said and then adjusted herself to be more comfortable since it seemed he was sticking around. "My name is Izumi. You really don't have to wait."

Solomon noted the wave, respectfully placing the bandages in his pocket. Chuckling softly, he sat on a chair of reishi he formed on a whim. He knew there was no obligation to wait, but simple moral ethics compelled him to do otherwise. She had risked her life in a sense to assist him. No matter how bold it seemed, he refused to take no for an answer.

"Don't worry, I have time. You assisted me, and I feel it only fair if I keep company to make sure you can walk properly, and safely, out of this forest. There were six hollow, but you never know if another threat might pop out to finish what they failed to do. I didn't expect to find a Shinigami here, though. I hadn't sensed your spirit pressure until you appeared. What division do you belong to, if you don't mind my asking?"

Izumi sighed. He either had a strong moral code, was stubborn, had some hero complex, or was dumb. There was no way of telling at the moment. Maybe it was all of that? Either way, she relented, thought she kept herself alert and on guard, having no inclination to actually trust this man. And if they were going to sit here, together, without him leaving, and with him just sitting there in some reishi chair... right over her... There was no way she could sit in silence. She had to fill the silence.

"Well... If I am going to sit here with a strange young boy," Izumi said silently, her partially closed eyes keeping careful eye on him. "Tell me something about yourself. What are you doing out here? Or did you just chase the hollow down?"