Seaside Fight Night: Kikoto vs Nero

The City of Lights, and a night of fights! The crowd seemed to be excited for this matchup, with cheering abound throughout the stadium. Good! Kikoto waved and smiled to the hundreds of people in the stadium, very sure that many of them, even without seeing what he was capable of yet, were already ready to become adoring fans and cheer for him above all else!

Kikoto was pretty excited to get the chance to fight and show off. He may not have been on the same level as the Captains, or the Lieutenants...or the Seated Officers, but he was getting there! He was gonna learn Shunko, and become way cooler than any of them! Right now, he just had KIdo, and that was enough for him! He'd show off how cool that is alone!

Right now, though, he was facing off against a Quincy from the Vandenreich. So, this Quincy would be the first person to see how awesome he had the potential to be, and how cool Kido was! Hopping in place and showing no restraint to how excited he was, Kikoto was grinning from ear to ear as he started to warm himself up and get ready for his opponent!

Nero wasn't an official member of the Sternriter quite yet, but that didn't particularly have any account in him participating in the Seaside Fight Night. A contest between the soul reapers and the quincy was difficult to pass down when he read a recent pamphlet, and the thought of inviting his family to watch the event was exciting. He wanted to prove what he was capable of here, put the Arant family name on the map, and showcase his abilities. It would be a performance for both his family and for the division he intended to join.

Although having fun was, perhaps, the furthest thing from his mind given his typically stoic nature, he couldn't contain the smile that lined his lips as he walked through the entryway. The boom of cheering voices, the bright lights, the promise of a fine battle... Truly, Nero found himself even more motivated simply through elements like these. His final step through the entryway would lead him onto the pavilion. Soaking in the colorful view of the arena, Nero smiled warmly, casting his gaze along the large crowd.

In the past, he might have grown nervous, but his grandfather had always imparted one essential lesson in combat, had taught him that a calm and composed mind was ideal for an archer to operate at his most efficient. Forming the outline of Sol's bow within his hand, Nero would direct his gaze toward Kikoto, bowing politely with a confident expression. The woman seemed quite excited compared to him.

"My name is Nero. Nero Arant. I fight today in honor of my family and the Vandenreich. As such, I will spare no quarter and I wholly intend on emerging victorious today, miss."

Kikoto bounced from side to side in excitement as he waited for his opponent, keeping a close eye on the other side. As the combatant made their way onto the arena, Kikoto gave them a big, confident grin. He wasn't surprised to see the bow forming, they were a Quincy, after all! It just meant that both of them would be fighting at range...for now, at least.

Kikoto figured that his opponent probably focused pretty hard on ranged combat, so maybe, he'd be able to get the upper hand if he got in close! What he wasn't expecting, however, was for them to be so...polite. The bowing caused him to stop moving, blinking a few times, only for his face to suddenly light up red at being called "miss". Did he really look that girly?! No way! He was a guy, no doubt about it!

Heck, Nero looked even more girly than he did! If he didn't say his name, Kikoto probably would have been the one to think he was a chick!

Calm down, Kikoto. Can't let them get to you. Be confident! Well...as confident as you really can be with this.

"Hey, I'm a guy! I'm Kikoto Tsurata, Up-and-Coming Shunko Savant! Nice to meet you, Nero Arant! Trust me, I don't plan on holding back either!"

Without warning, Kikoto quickly held out a hand toward Nero, beginning to chant as a red light flickered to life on his palm. He tried to speak quickly, to get the incantation out before Nero had a chance to react, but with it being so friggin' LONG, there was a chance that Nero would still be able to steel himself.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!"

As the chant finished, a small, red orb fired from his hand toward Nero, something that would explode on contact in an brief eruption of flames. Antithetical for someone who loved the cold so much, but it was an effective opener!

"Oh? My apologies. I sincerely thought you were a woman. I..."

Nero stifled the small shade of pink that formed across his pales features, somewhat embarrassed by his mishap. He himself was well aware of what it felt like to be mistaken for a female, and given the distance between them, the profile definitely spoke to something more feminine. Even so, he could offer further explanation after the battle was over. He would not let himself falter over a minor error. It was a honest mistake. There was no time to lose sight of his goal here.

Naturally, Nero wasn't going to sit around and become a stationary target, either. His bow wholly materialized, Nero set off into action. He leaped back a few meters, pulling his finger along the fiery bowstring, releasing an arrow with enough might to combat and possibly overpower that red orb of energy. Regardless of the result, he would employ Hirenkyaku's boon, flashing behind Kikoto in an instant to loose two more arrows from a distance.

"Shunko Savant, eh? I presume that means you must be well versed in Kido, right?"

Uh-oh. His plan to try and catch him off-guard didn't work. Nero was quick to draw arrows to the string, releasing one that, albeit with some struggle, managed to overcome the Shakkaho. No matter! He still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve that he could use to win! He heard the other Quincy suddenly flash behind him, and he quickly turned around to meet him, a confident grin on his face.

"Can't take me by surprise that easily! Enkosen!"

Holding his hands out, a yellow energy disc spun to life in front of him. As the arrows made contact, the disc shattered, and while he flinched from the attack, he was quick to recover, using the foot furthest from him to push himself forward and kick off the ground. As he got a bit closer, he quickly, but subtly fired a burst of concentrated lightning from his fingers.

"You betcha! I'm not as good as Captain Kuchiki or the new Vice Captain, but I'm getting there!"

Without giving Nero a moment's rest, he closed what distance there was left with a burst of movement from Shunpo, before unleashing a fast flurry of punches and kicks, mixing them in with several blasts from Byakurai, with Kikoto varying between saying the name or just letting the spell speak for itself, letting powerful crashes of concentrated lightning assault the effeminate man with fervor!

Quincy were experts at range, so all he had to do was take that away, and victory would surely be his!

"I see. I'm not quite where I wish to be in overall talent, either, but I definitely intend to get there sooner rather than later. The path to that evolution starts with my victory here."

Nero kept his form and eyes at the ready, preparing himself in advanced for a counter. Based off first impressions, Kikoto appeared to be one who would definitely take advantage of exploiting a weakness if he noticed one. He was already roaring in with a flurry of attacks, closing the distance between them with flash step in the blink of an eye. To defend himself, Nero decided to shift his bow into the form of a sword in order to fend him off. Swordplay was not his forte, but he was skilled enough to hold his own. It was simply a matter of braving this storm of electricity currently assaulting his frame. For each punch or kick, Nero sought to push him back with a thrust, executing a flurry of his own attacks in motions akin to that of a world-class fencer. He didn't need a lot of distance to fire his arrows, but he certainly needed enough. For now, he would humor him in a contest of martial skill. An Arant had to be prepared for all situations, after all.

"Closing the distance already, Kikoto? You'll find that I'm not just limited to my bow and arrow."

Finding out that Nero had a sword was, unexpected. Quincy were supposed to be ranged fighters, weren't they? Well, it wasn't entirely unreasonable -- he was a mix of the two anyhow. He'd just have to get around the sword! He'd prove himself better than this guy! Kikoto showed no fear as he slipped from side to side to avoid the tip of the sword. However, he was not perfect, and there were many cuts, grazes, and stabs that hit him as he tried to avoid Nero.

Nevertheless, he was quick to continue his assault, sneaking in mixes of jabs, kicks, and blasts of low-level, small-scale Kido. With the range that they were at, he couldn't waste time reciting a chant. Byakurai was enough for now! Even if spamming it would probably eventually come back to bite him. So, as Nero made another thrust of his sword, Kikoto jumped back, placing his hands on the ground.

"Bakudo #21: Sekienton!"

At the spell's utterance, red smoke burst from where his hands were, putting a bit more energy into it to try and smother the two of them in smoke. Kikoto quietly moved through the smoke, keeping his Reikaku centered on Nero as he went to attack from the side. Standing a decent distance away, Kikoto held up both of his hands, each a distance apart from one another, and began to recite a prior chant.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hadō #31: Shakkaho!"

A red orb manifested at his palm, but he wasn't done yet. Keeping the red orb at his palm, he started reciting another chant.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hadō #33: Sokatsui!"

Blue flames crackled and sparked to life on his other hand, and Kikoto brought his hands closer together, before suddenly unleashing a wave of red and blue fire from each hand. The Shakkaho and Sokatsui surged toward Nero, tearing through the smokescreen. Were it to hit, it would likely cause rather substantial damage as the two mid-level Kido would explode on impact, sending a mixed wave of blue and red fire in all directions.

It was far from cost-efficient, but it looked awesome, and it'd deal a lot of damage if it hit! Take that, pretty boy!

Kikoto was certainly an energetic opponent. There was no shortage of energy to be found in his sequence of movements, and that made him exceptionally difficult to read. Studied opponents had a tell, a discernible flaw in their technique. But against an opponent who was mixing close quarter combat with a unique array of kido spells, these weaknesses were slightly more difficult to pick out at first glance. He had earned his distance, but just as quickly as he did, a crimson cloud of smoke clouded his vision. His own spirit sense had allowed him to follow Kikoto's movements well enough, his ears registered another chant as Kikoto uttered another incantation.

A troublesome foe indeed... what was he plotting next? Shifting Sol's form back to it's original bow and arrow state, Nero steeled himself in preparation for the next attack. Although he had remained in a consistent state of movement, he kept himself still. Pulling those fingers across the flaming bowstring, Nero collected enough reishi to execute a potent attack of his own. Nero did not believe Kikoto would expect such a bold attack. In order to gain a victory, one had to be selectively bold, choosing an ideal opportunity as it appeared.

The moment Kikoto concluded his incantations, Nero loosed a fiery arrow that roared through the smokescreen. At the same time, Nero attempted to employ his defensive system of Blut, in an attempt to mitigate the damage from the attack. His body would be sent flying several meters backward as he tumbled onto the ground. As he expected, it definitely hurt. His body cried out in pain from the burns and bruises, and his legs were clearly rattled, but he rose from the ground, prepared to engage the energetic kido practitioner once more. With his bow poised, Nero flashed forward with Hirenkyaku, firing five more arrows in quick succession.

As the arrow sped through the smokescreen when Kikoto unleashed his spells, Kikoto braced himself for whatever might was coming. He could sense the gathering energy and braced himself, unable to get another Bakudo spell up in time. The arrow crashed into him with surprising force, and sent him sliding backward.

His arms were equally as burned and bruised as his opponent's, but it didn't stop him, nor did it take away that big, confident grin of his. He wasn't expecting Nero to be such a strong opponent, but he couldn't deny that, even with the difference in power, he was still having so much fun! As the smoke cleared and he saw the effects of his display, he silently, internally cheered.

However, he didn't have long to celebrate, as Nero didn't waste time in recovering, and retaliating. Another volley of arrows came his way, and Kikoto threw up another Enkosen barrier, the disc spiraling to life as two of the arrows landed against it, cracking and shattering it. Despite the little time he had, Kikoto tried to lift his arms and guard his face, and the remaining arrows impaled his legs and arms. Blood trickled down his arms and legs, but he kept himself upright, holding a hand out in front of him.

"Sokatsui!"

While it would dampen the power of the attack, it was worth the cut in time as blue flames suddenly discharged from his hand, acting as a wave of energy that surged toward Nero. As the flames surged and hopefully obscured him enough, Kikoto curled his hand into a fist, before pointing an index finger at him, this time whispering the name.

"Byakurai."

A concentrated bolt of lightning fired from his finger, piercing through the flames. It was a low-rank Kido, one that probably wouldn't really do much, but taking him by surprise was all he needed! As he fired the Kido, Kikoto shot forward with Flash Step, aiming to get in front of Nero, striking with an open palm.

From Nero's perspective, at this point, it was clear that he required more in terms of overall firepower to deal a significant amount of damage on against his opponent. He was not arrogant by any degree, but as one who took utmost pride in his ability as an archer, the fact that Kikoto remained standing meant something was inefficient so far in his technique. The unpredictable pace was less than ideal, too, forcing him to remain in a perpetuating cycle of movement simply to maintain an advantage.

Five arrows earned purchase, Kikoto pressed forward. Setting another well-timed evasion into play, Nero employed Hirenkyaku once more to vanish from his position on the ground, avoiding the azure flames that sought to inhibit his ease of movement. From platform to platform, Nero created distance again, though this time he set his sights on a vantage point perched above.

If Kikoto wished to reach him, he would have to soar through the skies. Of course, that would imply Nero housed little intent in employing another attack. Incorrect. He wished to truly deal him a great blow - impose his will - and show him the fruit borne from the tutelage of the Arant's archery. A single moment passed, Nero amassed the quantity of ambient reishi he could absorb in the interim, generating that wave of spiritrons along his bow.

Nocking that collection of enflamed reishi against his bowstring, Nero unleashed a volley of numerous arrows at Kikoto from above. Fired as quickly as they were, he sacrificed ideal firepower in favor of strength in numbers. This gamble, too, he hoped would posit a favorable outcome.

"Sonnenlicht... Regen!"