Ashes of Ambition [Suigan/Byakuya]

Suigan nodded and proceeded to follow Byakuya as he brought them to their next destination, taking a quick note that he did grab his Zanpakuto. Though it wasn't surprising at all, given the circumstances, it was curious given their location. "My fighting style is what makes me prefer the Defense Corps." He began as they walked "I prefer patience during a fight, particularly because my Zanpakuto takes some time to call forth."

It became much clearer when they arrived at their destination what was going to happen, though there was the hint given before of being tested. He hadn't been sure of how he would be tested until they arrived at the training grounds, at which point he nodded to Byakuya as he took his place on the opposite side of the field. There was no hesitation to be seen as his hand grasped the hilt of his Zanpakuto and he began to pull it forth. "Shin'en kara Nobori, Sekai o Obore Sase yo" As soon as he spoke those words, his Zanpakuto made a drastic transformation into a five-pronged trident, the center being the tallest and descending in length from there outwards much like one might see in classical depictions of such a weapon.

"I do apologize, but to show you the full extent of my abilities it will take a moment to awaken Kōkai Ryūō, as powerful as the oceans wrath is, he is just as fickle. Mezame" As he spoke the word 'Mezame', he pointed the trident downwards at a near perfect 45 degree angle, at which point the Zanpakuto itself pulsed with an otherwordly energy before emitting a soft rumble.

"My fighting style is one unique to myself, created within the bowels of the Rukongai, Mezame" Again he spoke the same phrase once more as he explained the way he fought and why it made him particularly suited for the Defense Corps. As he said 'Mezame' as second time, his Zanpakuto once more pulsed with two red draconic-like eyes appearing briefly to either side of him which was accompanied by a louder rumbling than before as if something was stirring from the very depths of the ocean.

"It was then honed in battles against Hollows after Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto recruited me for his Gotei 13, Mezame" By this point it was likely obvious whatever this word did was what stirred his Zanpakuto into action, though it did seem to take quite some time to do so. This third time the pulse was accompanied by a loud roar which seemed to emanate from his Zanpakuto directly.

"And it was Mastered when we slaughtered the Quincy's who refused to abide the Balance, Mezame!" The fourth time it was spoken with more of a commanding tone, which was accompanied by the two Draconic eyes appearing once more to either side of him with that loud roar once more returning and the very air and ground around him beginning to simply tremble at the presence of his Zanpakuto.

"I came to call it Arashi Ha, Tempest Blade, For just as my Zanpakuto controls the waters of the devastating ocean itself I control the motions much like a tempest. I suggest you take to the sky. MEZAME!" This fifth time he spoke it with such force that the two draconic eyes returned and stayed, the once loud roar erupted forth as a cacophony as if whatever was ascending had nearly broken through the surface and its enormous voice could be heard for at least several hundred feet in all directions.

"And much like the powerful Ryūjin Jakka controlled fire itself, I control all that which is the ocean. Shin'en kara Nobori, Sekai o Obore Sase yo, Kōkai Ryūō Sōkaishin! Bankai"

He spun the trident until it faced downwards and plunged it into the ground, and the warning from before would begin to make sense as water began to erupt from the spot where his trident made contact with the ground. The sky above them darkened as storm clouds formed rapidly in a 100 meter radius, the ground trembling from the titanic force of the water that surged forth and soon from the colossal form that began to rise and lift Suigan off of the ground.

A 30-meter tall serpentine entity erupted out of the ground with enormous force, as if a shark breaking the oceans surface. Its scales shimmering like the deepest depths of the ocean, its eyes radiating an ancient, almost otherworldly intelligence. The entire area the storm clouds covered holding in the gargantuan flow of water that rose to thirty feet, the serpentine creature sporting a total of twenty glowing runes across its body.

Byakuya observed Suigan’s demonstration with a calm, unwavering gaze, positioned precisely one hundred and five meters away. The display had been rather drawn-out, with Suigan repeating his release phrase multiple times, building up the energy for his bankai. Byakuya couldn’t help but find it somewhat theatrical—the gradual rise in power, culminating in the full manifestation of a water dragon. His expression remained impassive, but he mentally noted both the strengths and potential limitations of such a technique.

“Now, show me its true capabilities,” Byakuya instructed, his voice steady as he unsheathed Senbonzakura, letting the blade slip from his grasp and point downward. “I suggest you refrain from holding back… Bankai.” As he spoke, a wave of Byakuya’s power surged outward, contained within the boundaries of his control. His bankai released, an innumerable count of sakura petals taking over the battlefield in moments. The intensity of his reiatsu filled the training ground, though he carefully restricted it to the area, so few would feel it.

Byakuya’s gaze locked onto Suigan with calm precision. Since this was their first time facing each other in combat, Suigan would likely fail to grasp the weight of such a focused look, unaware that it signaled a threat from all directions, thought Byakuya made no immediate move in such volume. Instead, a single wave of his blades flew at Suigan, the petals of Senbonzakura swirling like a deadly storm. Each one carried the threat of lethal precision.

Bankai Duration at Start: 20 Posts

It was true, his Bankai had numerous limitations, with the most outstanding being the length it took to both awaken and draw out its full strength to unleash his Bankai. However once it was unleashed it was a sight to behold, both in scale and power. When Byakuya began to speak his eyes once more trained themselves on him, listening to what he said before he too released his own Bankai.

Unlike his own, Byakuya's Bankai was capable of being released far faster than his own. It truly was something else, to see how a Shinigami of this era's Zanpakuto worked. Zanpakuto's from his own usually had length release phrases or lengthy restrictions on what they were capable of... But Byakuya's had no such restrictions, capable not only of being released immediately, having no lengthy release phrase for its Bankai, but he needn't have even released his Shikai first.

The Shinigami of this age had truly grown and evolved to something previously thought inconceivable. To say the look on his face didn't show shock would be an understatement, especially as the blades rose from around them and then shattered into what seemed like an almost innumerable number of exceptionally tiny blades. The weight of his Reiatsu was immense, rivaling even some of the strongest of his generation.

Even without knowing what his Bankai was capable of, only an absolute baboon would treat it as anything less than a threat to his very life. His suggestion to not hold back would be taken for certain as, without Byakuya seeming to move a muscle the blades came flying towards him. But Byakuya wanted to see the full might of his Bankai, so he would get just that!

Suigan would give Byakuya the respect any would expect of someone of this power, and mimicking his same motionless attack the Dragon he rode atop of reared back briefly before loosing an enormous 30x30 foot torrent of water directly at Byakuya, intent on bursting through the petals that were sent at him. Without knowing the strength of these petals, Suigan felt it best to attack them with his Kaiyō no Mitsugimono, one of his most powerful techniques and the only one capable of being unleashed without Suigan moving a muscle.

Without moving or making any denotation of Suigan being the one commanding the attack it would make it difficult for those unfamiliar with his Bankai to tell if it was him commanding the attack, or if the dragon itself was moving of its own accord.

Bankai Duration at End of Post: 16

Byakuya remained motionless, a clear testament to his mastery of Senbonzakura and the precision honed over centuries of combat. He noted Suigan’s own skill, observing the way the torrent from his water dragon clashed with his wave of petals mid-air. This exchange allowed Byakuya to gauge Suigan’s strength with clarity. He was approaching the threshold of Captain-level—a mark of respect, since obtaining one's bankai remained an accomplishment that few among the tens of thousands of Shinigami would claim. Even so...

Byakuya’s gaze sharpened, his focus intensifying as he reinforced his initial attack, pressing his power back against Suigan’s torrent. This wasn’t merely a test; it was a demonstration of the weight and authority he commanded, a reminder of what true strength still stood within the ranks of the living. Byakuya understood reverence for Yamamoto’s legacy—such respect was due. But the people needed protection now, and respect would have to be earned by those who upheld that mantle today. Suigan, if he were to join the Daimei, would need to recognize and respect those still here to defend the Soul Cycle.

Bankai Duration at Start: 16 Posts

The fact that Byakuya's petals were not simply brushed aside by his attack was testament to the strength his Bankai commanded, it wasn't a feat that was so easily accomplished in his experience. However that was not something that would intimidate Suigan, powerful foes were something he was used too in his time as a Shinigami and if he were to align himself with these people he would expect them to be powerful. As the petals became reinforced with yet more to push against his attack he noted the continued lack of movement, which at this point almost all but confirmed that his Bankai was controlled by Byakuya's mind.

Suigan's arm reached out to his side, the waters around them forming and reshaping themselves into the selfsame trident that was his Shikai. As the petals began pushing back the torrent he raised the trident in his hand, leveled his aim towards Byakuya and chucked the spear across the battlefield. Truth be told this was meant less as an attack intended to damage Byakuya and more to try and break his concentration, if indeed his Bankai was controlled with just his mind then that meant disrupting his concentration might give the edge he needed. However relying solely on this would be a fools mistake, and Suigan was not a fool.

As soon as the trident left his hand, his other hand raised and he spoke "Kaiyō no Seiiki" The Water Dragon released its torrent and let out another loud roar to tremble the waters beneath them, causing them to erupt upwards into a dome-like shape around itself and Suigan. In the event that the spear wasn't enough to stop the attack, he hoped the barrier would rise in time to block the petals from reaching him. The waters were transparent enough that he would be able to see the results of his strike, but durable enough to protect him against most attacks... Of course that being said, he couldn't have a concrete certainty that these petals would be stopped by his barrier.

Bankai Duration at End of Post: <14> Posts

Byakuya was still as Suigan’s trident soared toward him, an expectant gleam in his calm gaze. He had already anticipated the move. With but a subtle shift in his reiatsu, a torrent of petals surged upward, intercepting the weapon mid-flight. The trident clashed against the shimmering pink swarm, its momentum grinding to a halt as it was caught in the swirling blades of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, before being forcefully redirected to the ground below.

“Enough,” Byakuya stated evenly, his voice carrying over the roar of Suigan’s water dragon. “Distraction is a tactic for the desperate. Show me strength.”

As Suigan invoked his barrier, Byakuya’s gaze remained steady, unshaken by the dome-like torrent rising to shield his opponent. The petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi rippled outward in a mesmerizing cascade, reflecting the dim light like fragments of glass. They split into two distinct formations: one swirling around Byakuya in a protective vortex, the other surging forward like a tidal wave of razors, crashing against Suigan’s watery defense.

The petals collided with the barrier in a violent hiss of Byakuya's swarming blades, each strike testing its durability, threatening to shred him. Byakuya made no move to follow up immediately, instead observing with a detached curiosity as his relentless assault continued. It was clear he was assessing Suigan’s response—gauging not only his strength but his composure under pressure.

“Prove you are fit for the responsibilities you seek to claim,” Byakuya stated, his words as sharp and cutting as the petals themselves. With a flick of his wrist, the pressure of his attack increased, the relentless blossoms pushing harder against the dome. The noble’s stance remained perfectly composed, his calmness a stark contrast to the chaotic battlefield. This was not a display of raw aggression but of mastery—a controlled demonstration of dominance meant to make one thing abundantly clear: Byakuya Kuchiki did not falter.