Re: The Torchlight Hunt, Sunset Showdown [Ignacio, Tsubine, J.]

Tue Aug 27, 2024 3:17 pm

Tsubine was not prepared for Arrancar fishing. It was not on his bingo card for the fight, but he'd make do. He first tried to shake off the Arrancar by "whipping" the chain mid-swing, but it wasn't enough to dislodge him. Seeing the attack of flame coming, he had to react. He was hoping not to reveal his Shikai's true power so early, but perhaps it needed to be done at least somewhat. Tsubine dislodged the section of the chain just before Ignacio's grip. It did not change his trajectory, but it did free up the remaining length of his Zanpakutō.

Without the added weight of the axe head, the chain moved with greater agility and ease. He spun the chain and whipped at the incoming slashes. Their power gouged out chunks of the chain, reducing it to only a handful of feet in length. The section of chain Ignacio held quickly dissipated into mercury-like liquid that returned to the chain, returning it to a semblance of its former length—sans the axe head.

That was when Tsubine noticed the gathering of energy. It wasn't the visual cues, but that what felt with his Reikaku. He was really going to owe Kaminari after this one. Knowing his arsenal wasn't cut out for that kind of an attack with the intent to kill, Tsubine formulated a quick plan. He once again swung the chain out—this time, aiming to wrap the arm that was not charging the massive energy attack. At the same time, Tsubine sprinted to the other side of where he was originally in an effort to bring the himself almost-behind the Arrancar and towards J. Once the chain wrapped, he yelled out. "Comin' at ya!"

Tsubine pulled at the length of chain. The momentum Ignacio had combined with his own weight strained his muscles. But he was already Arrancar fishing once. Sometimes, you had to pull the fish in a different direction. He would be flinging Ignacio at J—and hopefully into an attack J had set up.

Wed Aug 28, 2024 11:43 pm

The Torchlight Hunt, Sunset Showdown [Ignacio, Tsubine, J.] - Page 2 J_PostingHeader6

Enter: J. Saionji

It was something that likely would not be noticed immediately, due to the Arrancar’s strength, but when J’s released zanpakuto made contact with Ignacio, the weight of his blade doubled. Each time this physical contact happened between Ignacio and J’s blade, from here on out, the effect would continue to stack.

J was glad that technique worked, not only allowing a strike against Ignacio, but also helped him avoid the blast of heated air that remained a threat each time they cut him. A plan formed in J’s mind, and as he was deciding the intelligence of it, Ignacio turned his attention to Tsubine, bringing J from his thoughts.

J could not remember whether the two of them had fought an enemy like this together, but they had fought each other enough for J to understand most of what Tsubine did with his more commonly used weapons. As Ignacio was flung at him, J used a shunpo to get into a position, where Tsubine wasn’t in his line of effect.

“Hadō Sixty-three, Raikōhō,” J called out as he held his palm up toward Ignacio. Though he would preferred more time to say the incantation and use a different kido, he wasn’t chancing it here. An orb of yellow lighting rapidly formed in his hand, and then fired from J’s palm aimed, in close range, at Ignacio’s torso.

End Post

Thu Aug 29, 2024 8:31 pm

The Torchlight Hunt, Sunset Showdown [Ignacio, Tsubine, J.] - Page 2 OGbbCsr

Ignacio Vega

They moved a little too fast for Ignacio's liking, the pair of Shinigami that darted around him, but he was not deterred from his course of action. The chain pulled at him, threatening to toss him away, and whilst he could have fought against it, he struggled just enough to make it seem like this was an inconvenience. Hitting both of them would have been ideal, but one would certainly suffice as he met J head-on.

Lightning sparked and crackled, the heat enough to char even Ignacio's resilient skin and the force more than enough to punch a gory wound into his chest near enough where the previous sword strike had hit him, but he could bear it. A grunt of acknowledgement and pain was what J would get, and then the Cero punched through him, space itself seeming to quiver as the sheer power of such an attack was unleashed. But it was not only J that would bear it, the surrounding portion of the Seireitei was ripe for destruction and soon enough another chunk of it was little more than molten debris.

Tearing himself free of the chain, slicing through it if need be, Ignacio staggered backwards for a moment before he planted his feet. The bloody wound was beginning to cauterise, though had it not been for his Hierro, it might have been much worse. His voice was steady, though, not quite the cry of a wounded beast but more a resilient command.

"Answer the Call, Ardiente Tigre el Espíritu."

There was another blast of heat that exploded out from the Arrancar as he activated his Resurreccion, before fire itself began to pour from his body and form itself into a flaming tiger born upon his back. He did not feel tired, he felt invigorated, but his weapon still hung heavy at his side. With a flicker, akin to a match against a spark, the blade itself burst into flame. Then those golden eyes flicked onto Tsubine.

There was another buzz, familiar now perhaps, as the Arrancar launched himself forward. His blade raised high as the spirit behind him added its own might to the attack, not one but five flaming claws bearing down on the Shinigami as Ignacio made to bury his target beneath a barrage of bestial blows.

The Black Flame | END POST

Thu Aug 29, 2024 11:01 pm

Tsubine had never seen an Arrancar's release. It was different than the various Shikai and Bankai he had fought against. There was an alien-ness to it, something that even Kōgin Reimei could barely comprehend. And yet, seeing its brilliance for the first time, Tsubine was enthrilled. How did it work? Did the tiger attack separately? Was he turning into the tiger? So many questions raced through his mind, but he didn't have time to contemplate. Not yet.

Even as the Seireitei burned, Tsubine was focused on Ignacio. It was what saved him from immediate evisceration. He raised Kōgin Reimei to his defense, but it was no chain that defended him. As Ignacio began the attack, Tsubine changed the shape of his Shikai. He had no choice but to reveal his Shikai's trick function. The chrome-like chain melted away like mercury, only to reform around the handle as a thick, oversized lance. He didn't expect Ignacio to impale himself on it (though if he did, Tsubine would have found it hilarious). Instead, he hid behind the flared portion and retreated backwards while being attacked.

The blazing-hot swings cut through his Shikai. The form rippled as it tried to keep itself together under the onslaught. After Ignacio's attack, deep gouges marred the lance's surface. Its tip was "broken" and melting. Tsubine lowered it to reveal that he had not come out unscathed. His jacket was tatters. His vest wasn't much better. And worse, his sunglasses were broken. Tossing the visual impairments to the side, Tsubine finally noticed J's prone form.

J coughed, which indicated he was at least alive. But Tsubine felt he was likely out for the count. This was one-on-one now. More smoke cleared and damage could be seen. Tsubine's body was covered in small patches of charred skin. He gritted his teeth in pain and switched the hand he held the lance in and shook his now-free hand. Blocking that hit stung. "Hey Arrancar." Tsubine held up a hand to try and forestall another attack. "Your name, what is it?" Tsubine worked on catching his breath from his makeshift defense in between sentences.

"Because when I walk away from this... and go and get drinks... I'm going to gotta make sure others know how strong you were. And if you want mine, to either spit into the dirt or to praise—I don't know what kind of warrior you are, after all—it's Tsubine Shirazumi. I'm not part of the Gotei, so I don't have any fancy titles like some of those others do. But I do have something else..." Tsubine's smile returned. "Bankai."

The metal lance and the handle melted. Tsubine backstepped further, and the liquid followed like iron shavings being drawn by a magnet. The liquid split and attached. It rolled into itself. Nine spheres danced at his feet before rising behind him—a mercurial pearl halo. Spitting blood, he called her true name. "Kōgin Reimei Ten'yo Kyūren." Tsubine's hands darted to two of the spheres—handles poked out, and he pulled a spear and a split-bladed sword out.

Once the weapons were drawn, Tsubine charged. As he charged, the nine spheres rotated behind him. He would not be deterred. His path was true, and thus, so was his aim. One of the spheres rippled as it spun. A sharp edge poked out before the same lance he had defended with lanced towards Ignacio. And mere moments after that, another sphere repeated it. Tsubine closed the distance with his own spear outstretched—issuing a challenge with a grin wider than a river. "So, O' Tiger King—do you have enough claws?!"

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Sphere Count: 4 of 9 on cooldown

Thu Aug 29, 2024 11:29 pm

Enter: J. Saionji

As J's kido was countered by a Gran Rey Cero, his self-preservation instincts kicked in. He quickly released a surge of raw reiryoku over his body while simultaneously using Utsusemi, his only chance of staying in one piece. However, the Utsusemi was only partially successful; the brunt of Cero caught his entire left arm and shoulder. The blast sent him flying back at least a hundred feet, with the cloak of reiryoku shielding his body from being obliterated by the immense power.

J’s body hit the ground hard, tumbling and sliding through the rubble until he finally came to a stop. A single cough escaped his lips before pain overwhelmed him, and he struggled to stay conscious. His clothing was mostly burnt away, leaving his skin covered in blood and burns. His left arm hung limp, broken and scorched. With labored breaths, it was clear he wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

End Post

Fri Aug 30, 2024 11:46 am

The Torchlight Hunt, Sunset Showdown [Ignacio, Tsubine, J.] - Page 2 WGJBvjE

Ignacio Vega | Resurreccion

Ignacio might have chosen to ignore his opponent's line of inquiry had it not been a valuable moment within which to catch his breath, the injury he had sustained was not one that could simply be overlooked and he had to consciously will his body into action to mitigate the worst of it with judicious application of extreme heat. In a battle such as this, there was no excuse for restraint.

"I am Ignacio Vega. And you are brave to assume that you will survive to regale your friends with such frivolous details."

He could not recall the last time he had faced a Shinigami's Bankai, it had been many centuries ago and not an experience that he thought of fondly. Still, the prospect did bring him some satisfaction. Many of his companions were facing off against Captains and heroes, and he had wondered if these two would be able to sate his curiosity, but they had not disappointed. Backpedalling now in the face of Tsubine's emboldened charge, he watched as several weapons appeared and his opponent switched stances to wield them all in tandem. He had only one sword to match them all, but his spirit burned hot with intensity enough to shatter any illusion that he was at a disadvantage even now.

"Karinzanjutsu, Fifth Ring. Blazing Saber Ignition."

Grabbing ahold of his weapon with both hands now, black rings began to bubble along the length of the blade. Though the shape did not change, each one seemed to push and stretch the sword until it was longer and afforded him reach enough to match these spears and lances. Then, planting his feet, Ignacio stopped and went to block the double attack. Slicing into them both with a single mighty blow, reinforced by the tiger claws, that would carve a path right through his opponent's guard. It was the third lance, delayed in its thrust, that slipped past Ignacio's guard and rocked the Arrancar backwards. As before, his Hierro loosed another burst of scalding hot air, but the force of the thrust was enough to stab into him and so Ignacio simply twisted his grip and brought the blade back down again in another sweeping attack.

The Huntsmaster | END POST

Sat Aug 31, 2024 8:09 pm

Tsubine's teeth were gritted in a wide, wicked smile. He hurt all over. His insides burned. But instead of grimacing, he might as well smile. If he got angry, he'd be admitting that this Arrancar had a chance of beating him. He had to believe he was going to win. He had to win. He had to pierce through this Arrancar and get to Mayumi.

The first lance was met with a blazing circle. It melted away. The second met the same fate. Even as he charged forth, he believed in his thrust. He knew the weapon he thrust with well enough. It was, like so many others here, something that once belonged to a friend. Tsubine yowled in pain as the hot air scalded his arm. He wasn't going to be able to train Kohaku for some time. Focus.

Tsubine caught Ignacio's blade in between the two blades of the katana. He felt the extra claws cuts gouge his arm and chest. That arm wouldn't be doing anything fancy. He could also feel blood dripping across his torso. But now, Tsubine had him. The spear held Ignacio on one side. The other hand had the blade. Even as the metal bubbled and sizzled underneath the intense heat, Tsubine kept his grip. Through clenched teeth, he spoke. "You say... it's frivolous. But that means... you think you are frivolous... And that's just not true!" Tsubine's words crescendo'd in volume as he he yelled at his pinned opponent. He almost thought of headbutting the Arrancar. Perhaps if he were stronger in Hakuda, but he decided to do the next best thing.

One of the sphere rippled; and a bulbous shape launched upward. It was an oversized hammer that soared into the sky—awaiting gravity to bring it back down upon Ignacio's head. Another rippled under Tsubine's right shoulder. The barrel of a sailing ship's cannon formed. With a smile, a cannonball made of the same metal roared out of the barrel—aimed at Ignacio's open waist at point-blank.

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Sphere Count: 6 of 9 on cooldown at end of post; 4 returning next post

Mon Sep 02, 2024 3:09 pm

Enter: J. Saionji

J’s moment of respite was over because it had to be. Leaving Tsubine to fight this monster increased the chances of Mayumi losing her father too, and that child had lost enough. J forced his body to move, body fighting against him every step of the way. The man pushed himself into a sitting position, then to a knee, and then back to his feet, the grip on his zanpakuto as firm as it has ever been. Taking a heavy breath, J watched the fight from his location, waiting…

‘Are you ready?’ a voice from within J rang out.

‘Yes,’ was his simple, determined reply. J’s eyes narrowed as he watched Ignacio’s blade come down to be caught in whatever weird ass tuning-fork of a katana that was. J cursed inwardly, having wanted to activate his bankai at the end of Ignacio’s swing to prevent the extra weight from helping him, but when Tsubine caught it, that became more of a risk. Too fucking bad, brother.

“Bankai,” J’s reiryoku washed over the area, but specifically at Ignacio, as the weight of his weapon would have suddenly skyrocketed as another stack was automatically applied. And with J feeling a second wind, thanks to the activation of his bankai, he shunpo’d forward and swung his blade at Ignacio’s back with the intent of cutting open the Arrancar’s back and applying another stack.

End Post

Mon Sep 02, 2024 6:37 pm

Ignacio Vega | Resurreccion

Locked in a deadly embrace, Ignacio did not divide his attention from the clash of weapons. His weapon was heavier, but he would use that to his advantage and crush straight through Tsubine's guard eventually if his opponent did not relent or submit to the unrelenting heat. Being close to him now was akin to being held in a furnace, after all, and every exchange would only cause more scalding heat to emit from him into his opponent's direction.

He was about to respond when he felt the surge of energy coming from the other warrior, another Bankai to even the odds it seemed, and one that came with an all too noticeable effect. The force behind his weapon, which Tsubine was struggling to hold off, multiplied by several orders of magnitude as Ignacio let that newfound weight alone crush his opponent's weapons into the ground.

A hammer above, a cannon to his fore, and J at his back. There was truly only one thing to do in such a situation, destroy everything. So Ignacio continued to hold on, even as they all bore down upon him until J was all but certain to strike his exposed back. The black rings bubbled inside him, a rising pressure that was buried within his soul, waiting for an ignition, and that strike would be the spark.

"Karinzanjutsu, Final Ring. Desintegrarse."

Violent black flame exploded in every direction, if no move was made to retreat then it would swallow the entire courtyard and well beyond in a deafening roar of destruction. Tsubine's blows might well land, if his spheres were resilient enough to withstand the unbridled inferno, but Ignacio would always meet his challengers blow-for-blow. Only when the explosion had settled, and a crater formed around them, did the heat begin to subside. This was not a sustainable technique, after all, and if it was not enough to flatten them as it did the surrounding Seireitei then he would soon have to cut his losses.

The Huntsmaster | END POST

Mon Sep 02, 2024 8:02 pm

What saved Tsubine was his own body failing him. He felt his shoulder dislocate moments before the flame erupted outward. Knowing his grip was to falter, he released the spear and katana with a backstep. They would melt away under the intense heat. The cannonball was not destroyed, but it lost its shape and became a splash of molten metal instead. The same happened with the hammer.

Tsubine coughed up more blood. He felt his lips crack with Ignacio's heat. His vision blurred for a moment—was that heat or a blood loss? He didn't know. He didn't care. He was seeing the gap between them. But fear was not what what guided him. He saw an obstacle to overcome. He saw the gap as something to leap—not to gawk at. He may not win; but he would damn sure try.

Tsubine took mental stock of his spheres. The 3 that remained were boiling—unusable. Two were still reforming. That left him with four. Unfortunately, he only had one arm capable of holding anything right now. He couldn't use his fancier tools. Instead, he'd go to the basics. He couldn't rely on anything unknown, so he'd double—no, triple down on the most-known. Matching katana handles slid out of three of the remaining spheres. He grabbed each one with the same hand in a single, sweeping motion.

These katana all resembled his own sealed Zanpakutō. And thus, he knew it well. They were weightless in his hands, and so, his grip became... unconventional. Reiryoku held them to his palm as the three katana were now positioned and held between his knuckles. If Ignacio had claws of fire, Tsubine had a claw of swords.

"One last trick... Ittō.. Ryōran!" Charging forth once more, Tsubine pushed his Reiryoku into the swords. He swung as he charged. His Reiryoku burst out from the swords as he swung seemingly-wildly at different points during the swing. Each time, the blades would accelerate. His body was spent, but that didn't mean his mind was. He could force his Reiryoku to move faster than his tired muscles allowed. So long as he kept that grip, the blade would swing. He could only do it for so long, however, before the arm would actually break... And that was going to be his limitation.

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Sphere Count: 8 of 9 on cooldown at end of post; 2 returning next post
Ittō Ryōran: 1 post used