Shinigami
Administrator
Some would call it satisfaction, others would call it glory or success. Higen welcomed both options, unable to truly express how it felt to have his opponent literally crumble in his hands. For a moment he could feel the overbearing force of his grip against the structure of a human body and as sickening as it seemed, there was peace. Something about it was reminiscent of an earlier time, a more wild and feral Higen where things like this took place before breakfast. After being asleep for so long, perhaps the beast needed to awake once more. That peace and serenity was broken, like the skin and bones of his enemy, turned to dust before him in a cloud of disbelief. His eyes widened to the edge of their sockets, showing the only sense of being off put on the day. So Tenzen had some tricks up his sleeve after all? It was only about time. He wouldn’t just sit idly and get beat on without pulling the best of his cards. Perhaps he was finally learning. As the false-image turned into nothing but dust and dirt, it acted as the catalyst for the clarity that was Tenzen’s real position, sitting idly next to his summoned weapon. He seemed caught off guard, even hurt, perhaps the technique was rather tolling on him.
Even still, at the collapse of the doppelganger Higen stared at his hands, the moment so fast, so fleeting, a brief spell of confusion overwhelming him even with the real image revealed. Flashes of his earth-shattering power came before him in the shape of a distant memory. He looked back up to Tenzen, his curiosity piqued, his power only increasing. What else was in store? Surely he’d find out, surely he’d see the extent of the tricks now. A bruised neck, a back leaking blood, and a plethora of burns were enough to make sure of that. Higen was well aware of these injuries and prepared to take advantage of the fatigue that would follow in the long run; even more so, he was prepared to create more.
”Hm.”
A small grunt with a curious undertone, loud enough to hear. His sapphire orbs gazed upon Tenzen’s full figure, assimilating all into his field of view, preparing for the next phase. Higen’s zanpakuto still rested in his main-hand, the reiryoku in that hand beginning to fulminate in the base of the blade, glowing a vibrant green. And then, Tenzen spoke.
” "Open sky falls mute and the empty sky screams, closed void stands to speak and the full void is silent. Kokūzō." 空蔵 (Lit. 空=Space, Sky; 蔵=Repository)
A flash of golden light enveloped his person, limiting him from view for only a second. A chain wrapped around the entirety of his arm and his blade’s length extended. Itss phrase was odd, different than anything he’d heard, but could this be his zanpakuto? Finally, something of note, something to be completely wary of. There was little room for examination, not too much had changed, but the extent of its abilities would soon come to surface. Above Tenzen was a shroud of some kind, seemingly protecting him from the downpour of the Captain’s Reiatsu. Holding his zanpakuto horizontally across his front, Higen would speak words of his own.
”Shimmer, Hitsumishi
The Gem-Horned Ram was unleashed, Higen’s reiatsu firing off in singular bursts with the same amount of time between them, sending shock waves that were enough to level the ground a centimeter with each pulsation. A thick green substance consumed the blade and Higen’s arms from view, clasping down on them with the sound of ringing metal, loud and clear. The sound of a blacksmith hammering away at a weapon resounded throughout, as his hands emerged covered in the iridescent blue alloy in the shape of brawler’s gauntlets.
There was little time to relish in its power, as Tenzen had already began to swing his new sword, sending what could be described as a crescent like blade of his own energy towards his person. As it skidded along the ground, traces of the very earth would vanish beneath it, at its mercy. Whatever that was, he didn’t wish to end up like the dirt. Applying immediate pressure onto his right leg he used its strength to lunge to his left with power, out of the attack’s path. Mid-stride the spikes at the edge of the gauntlets began to glow, four on each fist, illuminating with he brightest of lights. With two poised jabs, quick and decisive, Higen had released a total of eight small crystal shards from their surface. The small crystals would grow as they traversed through the air and towards the air, each becoming the size of human child by the time they’d reach Tenzen. Still, there was something more, an energy radiating within them, and after the punches Higen’s hands remained slightly unclasped but ready to close at moment’s notice, watching dutifully at Tenzen’s possible response.
