Lion(ness) Breaker [Rafaela, Sola]

"What the hell am I doing here?"

He complained with a kick to the ground to shoot a nearby rock careening through the air towards the horizon. It didn't go as far as many others might get it but it was enough to vent. There was surely a reason that Kizuna had dropped him off here, showed up to pick his ass up and take him to the middle of some far off land to be stranded.

Strength was what was the aim here, what was he supposed to find here?

"Damn it Kizuna, you could've at least left me with something to do besides walking around under the stupid sun all day."

Another complaint to the open plains, the sky up high, and most importantly the fact there was nothing around these parts. Wasn't Africa supposed to have lions or something? He could totally get something out of wrestling a lion-

That is how he came to his current goal. He was looking for a lion to fight.

"Ha! Back on the floor, loser!"

With a swing of her blade that seemed to thunder through the air, Rafaela batted a wandering hollow far aside, laughing as she watched its body ragdoll across the dusty ground. She'd been stuck on cleanup duty rather than out in the frontlines, but hey, at least now she was getting to stretch her legs a bit, actually throw down and show the world why she wasn't just someone to sneeze at.

Noting another presence as she marched confidently across the plains, Rafaela's cocky sneer only seemed to grow as she dashed toward the individual, a presence she didn't recognize all the sign she needed that it was time for a fight. The moment she appeared in front of the man, she struck out with her dull sword, curious to see if a weak presence like this could even handle her power.

"Name! If you can still talk after I lay you out, that is!"

"The Hell-"

He began as a small shape appeared to fill his vision. THe best reaction he could muster was off instinct to bring arms up to his face and protect his face a bit. Something that showed up like this usually meant business and the business was him getting sent flying a good distance away.

Assuming the little pipsqueak had the decency to not jump him the moment he got sent flying so that he could actually get a look at her he sighed a bit. What was a kid like this doing all the way out here? He was searching for a lion, not some kid to beat up.

His eyes adjusted to the silhouette though and he determined that this was in fact not a child. Not with a "fighting spirit" as big as those and she had a bit of bite to her to. It was the kind of thing that he could get on board with.

"Sola, I like the spirit shortstack."

"What can I say! I've got spirit to spare, pal!"

Rafaela leveled her sword at the Arrancar as she watched him stand, her confidence frankly well beyond what could be considered "reasonable" even if one did consider the difference in spiritual power between them. Sola may have been taller than she was, but it was still quite clear that she was looking down on him with her condescending grin.

"Name's Rafaela! Rafaela Leone! Better remember it if you actually live long enough to get out of here!"

She'd given him enough time for this little chat, so she shot toward him once again with her blade at the ready, intent on smashing it into him yet again. She was skilled enough to cut through plenty with even this dull blade, but it was more fun in these bouts if she bashed the foe around a bit. And what good was a match if she couldn't enjoy the thrill of it?

He cracked a smirk at the shortie's comment. Live long enough to get out of here? What an idiot. What kind of guy ran from a challenge like this? Run away from hardship or admit defeat rather than struggle against the reality of the situation? A load of crap.

"Get out of here? Don't be stupid. Right now there's nowhere else I'd rather be than staring at your not so small ass."

Sola declared while crawling up to stand again. Hands coming up into a fighting stance while trying to get a read on her. Brawly, tiny frame that probably made for a difficult target, pretty fast and strong by what he'd felt so far. Outclassed in every league.

Just the way he liked it, he thought to himself through that stupid grin.

The expression on Rafaela's face was one that seemed to convey a mix of both fury and amusement, Sola's comment having certainly not been lost on her. It was funny to hear, absolutely, but there was something in the back of her mind that felt outright indignant about it. Her hand gripped her sword's hilt more tightly, her whole body tensed, but as she spoke again, her voice still seemed like she was simply having a good time.

"Oh yeah? You think you can just take a look because you feel like it, huh!?"

Once more she shot toward Sola, blade at the ready before it slammed downward toward the ground, intent not on actually cleaving Sola himself in two, but rather on simply crushing him into the ground and shattering the earth below him. She wanted to see if he could handle it, though in the back of her mind, there was no small amount of genuine irritation behind her strike.

Did she know that? No.

"Uh, yeah."

Where she would come from seemed simple enough. Head-on, so far so good. Amaranta had taught him the valuable lesson of thoughtfulness and strategy, he carried that lesson on him still in his pocket so all he had to do was outsmart this meathead.

Easier said than done.

As Rafaela rushed, Sola was already trying to awkwardly move with anticipation. If they started from the same time he was doomed but if he tried to move before her then the headstart might be critical. With his stance, hands had less distance to travel so that the red reiatsu could flare uncontrollably and go off like a flash bang in his palm.

Blind her as she got to close to back away or react. It might've charred his hand a bit but his own inefficient use of cero and aptitude for regenerating would prove handy.

"Not a chance!"

With her straightforward assault, Rafaela didn't have any time to respond to the explosion Sola had created. It blinded her, but being blinded didn't bother a woman of such absolute stalwart spirit. She simply shut her eyes and waited for them to reorient, swinging her blade in the general direction that she expected Sola to be. She didn't hit anyone, but she paused, listening carefully for where her opponent might be.

"Running away? Not very impressive of you."

A scathing tone of voice made it clear that she genuinely disapproved of him fleeing from her, but her sword was tightly held, fully prepared for whenever she heard him come close.

Not running dumbass, it was just making an advantage. He could certainly try to get some distance but she'd cross the distance without trouble so he had to really add some meaning to the phrase 'break a leg'.

He dipped low to avoid the strike, opting to use a hand to hold his weight before swinging around and clamping his legs around her calf in an effort to twist her into the air. It didn't matter if she was stronger up than him if she had no anchor. It didn't matter if she was faster than him when they fell at the same speed.

All he was going to do was take advantage of the leverage created by twisting them both to try to put a dent in one of those legs. Smashing it against the ground while cradled between his ankles.

Without her eyesight, Rafaela hadn't been as prepared as she otherwise would have been for a technique like this. Caught in Sola's hold, Rafaela had little choice but to be thrown against the ground, and it was only by way of her natural hardiness that the leg didn't see a debilitating injury there and then. However, bringing her to ground had meant making his position relative to her clear, and though she'd obviously been injured, it didn't seem to bother her as she grinned once more.

"Right where I want you!"

She didn't need to see him to strike at an opponent so close, and rather than simply swinging at him, she unleashed the full power of her Fullbring, her beautiful weapon now cloaked in volatile purple reishi. With another swing, she practically smashed her sword toward where she expected Sola to be, unconcerned with the fact that pushing herself too much could easily worsen her injury.

She'd just get better if something happened to it. Injury was a small price to pay for victory.