Showdown Under the Sun[Igen, Rio]

"Oho? Is that so? In terms of compliments I've heard over the years, that's a new one. I like it."

Despite the fact she had fiercely slammed his body across the ground, Rio regarded Igen with a warm smile as she looked down at him. It was indeed true that they had nothing to prove in this woman's presence. After all, Igen was the man who singlehandedly introduced her to the idea of enjoying her life beyond the trappings of nobility. Around him, she could be free.

There was no need for posture, no need to feign an expression of what she represented before others. Here, on this beach, amid the bright sun, she could savor this present moment for all that it was worth. An enjoyable outing with her date. Lifting him with one hand, Rio would gaze up at him with a smile as she kept her hand wrapped around his.

If he intended to continue fighting, she was more than prepared to throw him around again, her feet shifting along the ground as she playfully led him about. But if he simply wished to take a breath, Rio blew a kiss playfully in his direction, maintaining that infectiously smug grin as she bumped her shoulder with his.


"How do you feel now? Are those jitters finally out of your system, Ig?"

Igen slowly peeled himself up off the ground, wincing just a little as he brushed the sand off his bare shoulders, shaking himself before chuckling softly. "Whew, you're really strong. It's wild."[/color] He chuckled, cracking his neck for a moment and pausing when she asked him that question. His eyes going a little wide before smiling. "I mean yea! I know how to fight after all. It's way easier than being on a date. So i'm not jittery at all." He stated simply, shifting from foot to foot before pausing for a moment. He had to push himself, because honestly this was....exhilarating. It was amazing. It got his heart racing to be able to not just let loose and not worry, but STILL be pushed. He loved it. But he didn't want to just enjoy it. He wanted to share that feeling with Rio. And so he rolled his shoulders. and raised his hands, grinning as he looked to Rio and flashed a smile. A slow, steady sigh escaping him as he winked at the woman.

"But I think I know what you're getting at. I'm a lot better at fighting than flirting. But we can start with what we know and go from there." He noted, a slow, steady depth to his voice as his spiritual energy slowly began to bleed from his frame. Not Shunko, but something a bit similar. Slowly saturating his body with reiryoku.

"One more go Rio. Let's see if I can get your heart racing~"

"Now you're getting it. Not so complicated after all, hm?"

Igen was correct. Most of his charm, to one degree or the other, had always lied in his ability to approach life with the explosive nature of an atomic bomb. These conversations about his worth, whether or not he came across a certain way, the fear of disappointing her - it was relatively moot in her eyes.

None of it mattered to Rio. What mattered was that happy expression, the zeal he exuded during their exchange, and the unyielding spirit she always admired. Shifting her feet from left to right, Rio stretched her arms as she maintained a bright expression, golden eyes peering up at him rising to full height.

One more round? Of course. That was music to her ears. She would gladly fight him as long as he liked. Assuming a defensive stance, Rio left several openings to exploit, though that was hardly because she doubted him. If anything, she wanted to feel the exhilaration he offered through his words. To some extent she was, that needn't be questioned, but she definitely found herself excited at the thought of being pressed on the backfoot.


"Let's take it from the top, then, shall we?"

Openings Shmopenings!

"SHUNKO!"

The instant that Rio was ready, Igen simply charged straight at her. Full force, the energy that had been billowing around him suddenly howled, the air dropping rapidly in temperature as he activated his Shunko. That brilliant pink reiryoku billowing like a flame around him, as ice crawled across the surface of the water nearby, and Igen aimed to slam straight into Rio. Arm cocked back as he loaded a punch straight for the very center of her guard, where she was at her strongest.

EVEN at this level, was he going to actually hurt her? Hell no, she was built like a fuckin tank! Even as his body exploded with an energy on the level of a bankai, he still wasn't physically strong enough to hurt her with brute force. But even so! He MIGHT be strong enough to actually overpower her guard! His muscles strained and ached as he unleashed his attack! Pumping all of his energy into his muscles, amping up his strength to the point where his muscles strained and sang a perish song to the melody of combat!

With that strike, he aimed to break through Rio's Guard and then SLAM her onto her back! Even if he couldn't actually damage her (Which uh, thank goodness for that! IT meant he could go all out without worrying!) He could still try to ovettake her! All whilst Ice would start to crawl over the sand around them, a soft crack and rumble sounding as the moisture in the sand expanded in the freezing process, causing the ground beneath them to solidify and then crack, breaking beneath them!

"Hahaha!"

The unannounced charge was a welcomed attack. An impressive offensive to kickstart the second round. Offense clashed with defense in a colorful display as Rio witnessed Igen's brilliant burst of energy behind that resounding punch. Ice coated the ground beneath them while the energy of his strike doubled in potency. Shunko... she recalled him wishing to adapt such a technique into his repertoire. Compared to the last time they fought, it appeared far more refined. The combination of spirit power and physical prowess bore down on her titanic ferocity as that fist slowly forced her backward, her legs sliding inch by inch in the opposite direction.

It was incredibly likely that had she been ill-prepared, she would have been pushed back right then and there, but Rio knew a minor victory was the furthest thing from his mind. The true achievement lay in returning the favor, pressing her back enough until she hit the ground.

As such, even despite the yet undetermined nature of the ice beneath her, she dug her feet into the sand. There was excitement in heart. There was exhilaration. He was close, but Rio knew he could push even further. Go beyond the limit. Joyous laughter spilled from her lips as she pressed her guard against his fist, challenging him to give her something even beyond his all!

"Impressive! You've learned a lot since the last time we fought, but do you think it's enough to return the favor and take me down? Come on. Show me the extent of your fighting spirit!"

The sight of Rio's exhilaration made his heart race. This was it. This was what he wanted.

To see her get so excited about what he was throwing at her. How often was it that he fought someone so much stronger than him? And yet he could always feel himself lacking. That they didn't SEE it. They couldn't understand how fun it was for him.

But Rio saw.

She understood.

And the smile that burned across her face even as ice attempted to crawl up her arms from the point of impact, was what lit his own fire, those bright pink flames raging with a sudden added fervor, splashing pink ice behind him as that turbulent energy seemed to solidify into wings, two freezing vents jetting from his sholder blades as the force behind his strike piled on! Pressing on that guard of hers as he focused!

That fist suddenly shifted, from a fist into an open hand, aiming to grab onto her wrists and then shove upward! Suddenly changing the direction of his applied force, from straight up rather than directly at her, aiming to then ram his shoulder into her frame, lifting with his legs to try and clear her feet from the ground, a gambit to rob her of her base which would ultimately end to him slamming her onto her back and pinning her to the ground, a takedown aimed at finally returning that favor!

Ah, there it was. His unyielding spirit and unbridled passion. What a bewitching sight to behold. She knew precisely what it was he enjoyed, what captivated his soul. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Overcome the obstacle, and keep pressing forward. It was fun. It was really fun. The rush of exhilaration did not falter even for a moment. Ice crept along her frame at the moment of impact, but it didn't matter. Ice likely coated her legs below, but it didn't matter. At present, it was all inconsequential compared to the fervent display of strength he was employing to return the favor. Pressing even more fiercely against her guard than before.

Her feet were shifting, her body was moving, and the only thing that accompanied this shift in momentum was unrestrained laughter. Neither mocking nor negligent, it was the boisterous laughter of someone overjoyed by the sense of competition, of witnessing a beloved rival overcoming their shortcomings to wrest victory from the hands of someone far more superior than them. It was captivating. It was amazing... and above all, it was enchanting.

Whether the result of her laughter or Igen's well-timed strategy, her guard was compromised for the first time during this exchange. Instead of a direct push, the exuberant warrior latched onto her wrists and shifted the force of his momentum into her body, pushing his body upward to force her off of her feet. There wasn't anything intricately complicated in the method employed, but the sheer shift in force and action had resoundingly caught her off guard.

In that next instant, the Shihoin's impenetrable defense was shattered, for a single moment, and yet that moment was all that was required for Igen's empowered attack to earn purchase as her body slammed against the icy sands with a resounding thud. A firm grunt escaped her lips as she gazed up at him with a proud smile, nothing short of impressed by the effort he extended to answer her attack from earlier. Softly extending her hand upward, Rio ruffled his hair as she maintained that proud expression. This is the Igen she loved to see above all else.

"Looks like the favor's been returned. What a resounding push that was. I didn't expect the push to grab technique, but it worked. It actually packed one heck of a punch, too!"

The impact of her back crashing into the ground and all but obliterating the froxen sand was satisfying, and as he finally pinned her down, he felt a surge of adrenaline as finally broke through her defenses. And in the wake of that explosive burst of strength, one that legt his arms and back feeling like jelly after having put so much strain onh is muscles, that warm smile and laughter eased him out of things.

The soft touch of her fingers ruffling his hair snapped him out of it, and in that moment, the howl of his shunko vanished, and it was just him, relaxing a bit as Rio smiled up at him like that, and feeling his heart race as he realized the position they were in, but he didn't drop his spaghetti. He was far too happy for that. The feeling of accomplishment along with those words was more than enough to get him to flash a smile. "Me? You're the one taking all this stuff like a champ." He chuckled softly, grinning wide before slumping just a little, his forehead gently touching against hers as he closed his eyes, and cleared his throat.

"I'm uh.....gonna need a little help getting back up. I can't feel my arms." He admitted with a nervous chuckle.

Oh yea, pushing his strength to the point of overpowering Rio, he'd absolutely torn the muscles in his arms and back.

"Of course. My durability is my most prized attribute as a warrior, after all. Still, that hardly negates what you accomplished just now. Not many can say they toppled the Shihoin defender, you know"

Rio continued to run her fingers through his hair even as he slumped against her. It was pretty phenomenal considering their gaps in strength. Sure, one could probably look at it from a cynical point of view and claim that she'd lost focus during the exchange, but that was simply incorrect. He gave it his all, shifted the momentum of his body, and redirected the overall force of his body in proportion to her own. As such, he ought to take pride in his victory here. He earned it fair and square.

Of course, as with earning all things in defiant desperation, one has to sacrifice something to stake their claim. From the looks of his expression and his slumped posture, he likely tore a muscle or two, or three... Rio chortled softly as grabbed his body, using her physical strength to prop him up and carry him toward a relaxing area by the sea, setting a blanket out along with the basket of food she'd prepared for the occasion. Exhaling softly, she turned to him, offering to heal him through her passable use of Kaido.

"What am I going to do with you, Ig? We're not halfway finished through our date, and you've found yourself injured. Then again, that "at any cost" nature of yours in battle has its fair share of charm. That was a pretty exciting exchange."

Igen was about to respond when he was a bit startled. Of course he expected a bit of help getting up, but he was shocked when Rio promptly scooped him off the floor, his eyes a little wide as he was promptly CARRIED. He'd never been carried, like ever, and so when his feet actually left the ground, he latched onto her shoulders a bit and blinked a few times, promptly giving a sheepish chuckle. "Hey cmon I can still walk." He insisted, though he hardly was struggling free of her grasp or anything as she promptly sat him down, sighing just a little and relaxing as she promptly healed him up. Thankfully it wasn't anything serious. Truth be told it wasn't like he couldn't work through it, but he'd felt like being a little silly.

Still, he rolled his shoulder just a little once the muscle had knit itself together, and once his arms were good, he promptly began to use his own Kaido to mend himself. "Hey now, injuring eachother has been our signature move for a while now! It wouldn't be a date without us roughin eachother up." He chuckled, sighing just a bit as he felt the strength getting back into his limbs and he glanced to Rio fondly. "I uh, gotta say though. Never got stuck in a grapple with you before. It was definitely a mix of terrifying and awesome."