[BSD-RP] The Valley of Screams

[Samu]

Before, he was alerted of Nibui’s Shunpo from the sound- the force of his body propelling himself from the ground to commit a rear strike. As mentioned prior, perhaps if he had honed this skill to be more elusive, his attempt on attacking the Captain while his back was turned would be fruitful. This time he does just that, but he has already witnessed it with his own eyes; The moment the Shinigami’s sword doesn’t slice through the afterimage of Yū, he realizes the Captain is already gone. With his realization, he displaces himself as he recalls what he should have done during his previous match with Kyomu… and as stated before, with his realization, the Fairy strikes back.

Perhaps, his first mistake would be comparing the two Captains to one another; While they were both notorious for their speed, what made his past and current opponents both so strong was not just left up to this sole factor, but their separate styles which complimented their speed- Kyomu with his masterful assassination techniques and Yū with his masterful kidō usage. For each of them, combining the two made for a deception so layered, it proves to make head-on strikes such as Nibui’s upcoming maneuver to be absolutely useless and a recipe for death. It is because of this that his method of sudden displacement- while it would possibly be effective against the same opponent or at least one that would prefer the distance between them to be closed, it would do little to nothing to give him an edge when faced before the Fairy. This is to say if he had thought he could overwhelm the Captain with just pure speed, when not even his infamous rival could do so without his own additional gimmick, he would soon be proven wrong. Even if his speed was scary enough to match the Kidō Prince, only one of them had a full view of the other's entire flow of motions while the other was still busy playing catch up. Ironically, Nibui has made the same mistake Yū had committed during his own test; He had wasted no moment to calculate his next action, no thought besides the present, even though his target was simply an image of the past.

From the moment he turned to look over his shoulder, Yū was already located up ahead, leaving behind the visual memory of himself hidden as a strip from his haori. From above, he has witnessed it all: A clear sight of all of the motions Nibui has committed from his descent, to his slash, to the halt of his slash, to his disappearance and then… to his failed arrival. In addition to the clear sight the boy had, he as well had taken no precaution to withhold his monstrous reiatsu if he even could, channeling a large amount prepared to assault the turned Captain before making a second attempt at an approach like a radiating beacon.

As far as Yū knew, Nibui was no friend to long-ranged combat or possessing any knowledge in Kidō. Just the same, Nibui, no, many in the Soul Society knew enough of the Captain to understand his preference of combat was not close-range, further bolstered by his incessant need to close the distance between the two with every chance he got. As stated before, perhaps his attempt on attacking the Captain while his back was turned would be fruitful if he had been more cautious and used this newfound elusiveness instead from the beginning. As a result, Nibui changes his strategy now, utilizing his Shunpo in such a manner that he is a silent blur instead of a crashing meteor towards his target. But, there is only one place Yū knows he is coming… right to him.

Now after this realization, the end result is only slightly altered, his target not appearing before him as anticipated to evade the crashing beams of energy that were summoned prior. Now, Nibui simultaneously dodges his kidō and attempts to strike again, both in a single motion. Mid-flight, the Shinigami is suddenly halted and brought into vision, a few meters away from the boy’s right. As planned- at once, six rods of light have been instantly joined at Nibui's waist, locking in his forearms tightly, and adequately halting any attempt at movement or escape. His body is now subject to an intense whiplash, abruptly trapped as he swiftly tries to make his way for his first of many strikes against the ever-watching Captain Nakamoto. Suddenly, his voice calls out now from beside him...

"Carriage of thunder...

The rods that entrap the Shinigami, suddenly grow innumerable times tighter...

...bridge of a spinning wheel...

and tighter...

...With light...

and tighter...

...divide this into six. Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō."

... and tighter. A spell already casted by a master of Kidō, coupled with a spoken-after incantation further bolstering his trap, would leave Nibui finding himself victim to a trap capable of immobilizing even the strongest of Shinigami, even with whatever tricks he had prepared with his reiatsu and its destructive effects. Unknown to Nibui, even without a spoken incantation, the Captain's last adversary to fall victim to this very exact spell was forced to bisect themselves in order to escape, further implying the futility of trying to break free by brute force.

The spell's potency with the Captain's incantation is near inconceivable, growing even more so with every word uttered thereafter. Stuck in this trap, would Nibui follow the same course of action like an animal gnawing at its leg to be free of his trap? Even so, was he confident enough to even survive such a strategy? In reality, this spell seemed to not just be trapping him, but possessed strength fierce enough to slowly crush his very frame- at the very least, leaving behind extensive bruising as a result of its unforgiving hold.

But, this isn't where the Fairy slows down.

His momentum mimics the same unabashed assault Nibui performed moments before, his strikes unrelenting before his retreat. But Yū wouldn't respond with his blade- he would counter with flame. Both his hands have already attained a fearsome glow, heat building from his palms and coalescing in strength. The sight of a crouching Captain Nakamoto floating only several meters beside him and enshrouded in his own cerulean reiatsu is as clear as day; A sight strong enough to inform the Shinigami that this situation could only get worse for him. If it wasn't the sight of him, perhaps it would be his calling out...

"Hadō #73. Sōren Sōkatsui!"

... that would alert him. And if that wasn't enough, then the speedy arrival of his catastrophic hadō would have to suffice. One palm already faces outwards towards the immobilized Nibui as the first collection of blue flames erupts forth. In all likelihood, he was probably worse off than Honoka who had sustained her injuries mainly due to forceful impact and shortly after, knocked unconscious. This, however, would not suffice in ridding him of consciousness as there would be no brute force comparable to his previous spell - simply, inconceivable misery. That isn't to say that the impact of each Sōkatsui blast didn't have impressive force still, but nothing boastful enough to be the main factor of his anguish. Instead, Nibui would be forced to experience every moment of burning agony as the blue flames washed over him, not just once... but twice.

There would be no sense of relief with the Fairy's assault, not a single instance to even breathe; No moment where it would ever seem to get better as the following blast would, just a couple seconds after, instead double the excruciating pain he would endure... and there would be virtually nothing he could do to stop it. Seared flesh becomes melted fibers, potentially exposing charred bone if he had no means of a defense... or miraculous escape. There would be no fathomable way of outrunning the quick-approaching carnage with the Rikujōkōrō still firmly anchored in the air and soundly keeping a strong grip on their target. Yū found no comfort in his merciless conjuration, but knew in order to proceed, he would have to break this newfound unwavering spirit of Nibui's... even if it meant reducing him to ash and bone.

What remains of the Shinigami rains back down onto the wasteland that was once Honoka’s forest, a tortured and scorched body landing beside her equally battered frame on the bedrock. Yū shows no hint of remorse or worry, knowing full well he is capable of restoring them to their former potential. Both of their reiatsu signatures are noted, weakened enough to where they pose no threat- their only fight being for their own lives. It's only after this read does he make his descent at a slow, relaxed pace, a large contrast to his zanpakutō that now expels itself from his sheath in a blue shard of light, before that shard itself splits into innumerable, ethereal butterflies. Joined together with their master, they as well slowly descend upon the two weary contestants to begin their thankless work.

 

[Frog]

Listen While Reading

Without a doubt, Yū Nakamoto is one of the strongest among the ranks of the Gotei Thirteen, as a Captain, this is expected of him. However, the boy is not strong because of his rank, it is his strength that awarded him the prestigious title. The young Captain is of a cunning mind, always capable of planning out his advances in a moment's notice. There are few that will ever manage to catch him off guard with their own tactics, Nibui is sure to be well aware of that in these moments. Much like this rival, Yū Nakamoto is undoubtedly one of the fastest souls to grace the Soul Society. Without a sound, he dashes at unimaginable speeds, invisible to most and almost untouchable as well. Of course, he is a master of the demonic arts, boasting cataclysmic power as has already been displayed here today. Boasting barriers that put the co-operative efforts of others to shame. To top it all off, of course the Captain of the Fourth Division is capable of a great many feats of healing with his Kaidō which is likely to have saved a great deal of lives.

Whether it can be pinpointed to his confidence in his speed, his perceptiveness, his Kidō, his planning or everything previously mentioned, today the Captain would fall. So focused was he on pinning down the Lieutenant’s movements, so focused was he on stopping that supposed arrival. Too focused to note the threat that actually looms over his life. The two had never exchanged blows and it seems that this was Nibui’s greatest asset. He needn’t rely on foreign approaches in his assault, he simply wields his strengths as best he can and they will be as faithful as he.

A great whirlwind of concentrated forces blowing through the Captain just before Nibui’s appearance, he is not forced to choose between what he prioritizes. A rising slash severs the Captain’s right arm from his shoulder entirely. A descending diagonal cut splits the Captain’s torso from the one o’clock point to the seven o’clock point. A horizontal crossing swipe to divide the Captain’s torso from his legs. With each masterful and bloodthirsty swing of this blade, arcs of blood lash out in an almost artistic flourish. Finally his blade is thrust forward, whether or not the tip of his blade meets the Captain is dependent on whether or not the Captain can keep himself conscious enough to maintain and bolster the strength of his binding spell. With his failure to do so, there would be no return, in this piercing launch, there will be no blood that escapes the hungry Jubokko as the wooden Zanpakuto finally meets it's prey.

To the Captain Nakamoto who so rarely wields his Zanpakuto as a weapon, his body and mind seems to be unattuned to catching the motions and effects of a swordsman’s assault. His match with fellow Captain Kyomu showed him the strengths of an assassin, this time he faces a warrior instead. A combination of four different attacks melded into one, yet only one of these would have brought blade to meet flesh, the final stab. Perhaps the situation would have been different had Nibui shown his swordsmanship’s full reach in his previous attack, the Captain would have witnessed as the trees below fell to pieces before what seems to be an invisible blade. The pressure of a blade that is capable of distorting space with each swing is more than capable of sundering flesh and steel alike. The Captain’s Rikujōkōrō intended to cut Nibui off before his arrival and it would succeed but it would not stop what had already happened in the midst of his travels. Yū is correct in assuming that Nibui is no friend to long-ranged combat, this is not to say he is incapable of overcoming such an adversity.

If Captain Nakamoto is capable of bolstering these six binding rods of light for but a tiny fraction of a second longer, he will find himself falling to pieces below, meeting the destruction he himself wrought upon the land. Whether there are those on hand who can come to the Captain’s aid immediately is to be seen, but in all likelihood, Yū is more than capable of stabilizing himself before help arrives. If the Captain fails, a majority of his body will plummet below, one rough half of his torso and his head now rest on a blade that has pierced all the way through the trachea and out the back of his neck and spine. The remnants of his life being snuffed out and stolen by Jubokko who rapidly begins to transform this unfortunate soul into no more than a decrepit and gnarled wooden bust upon a blade.

Whether the Captain perished on his blade or barely lived down below, Nibui was to blame for his state. A fragile mind tormented by a piece of himself, he entered this contest today already showing signs of mental strain. Having been placed into a lethal bout with two he would call his friends, he watches the fall of one and deals the same fate to the other. In these moments, his mental state seems to be entirely shot as the realization of what has transpired and just who is responsible dawns on him. He stands midair, his body motionless but his eyes dart wildly back and forth between his two opponents, himself, and his blade.

In the back of his shattered mind, a familiar voice screams out, rejoicing the situation but it goes unanswered, perhaps this time the influence of Jubokko had brought far too much mental torment unto the Lieutenant. Would he move on from this bout a change man, or a husk of a Shinigami that once was.

 

[Samu]

The rods of Rikujōkōrō arrive as anticipated to halt the Shinigami in his tracks much before his blade can make physical contact with the Captain. This is done without fail and before his very eyes, Yū has witnessed his own success of trapping Nibui within his kido.

Yet.. why does blood spill suddenly? Unaware of what has transpired as he had placed great amounts of focus on keeping track of the fast-approaching lieutenant, Yū still does not recognize the monumental damage that he has just endured. It’s only when he registers his own sudden weightlessness both, when he begins to formulate a counter and directly after the trio of slashes land fully does the paralyzing realization dawn upon him, but it’s much too late to avoid that which has already unfolded.

Just as Nibui had hoped, the Captain’s right arm is detached cleanly from the shoulder, his torso is separated from the waist and once again, is sliced diagonally which in essence splits his left arm away from what remains of Yū. All at once, blood erupts from every exposed wound in waves of red, but still the Shinigami’s blade never meets Yū’s throat. As a result, Nibui's blood-craving sword is forced to observe the crimson deluge go to waste, raining down on the bedrock with the limbs that it had severed from a distance.

Even in this vulnerable state, perhaps the most vulnerable condition anyone assumes the Captain has been in, the trap holding Nibui firm does not abate from its task for even a second. Maintaining the already cast kidō would be no hard task for the wounded Yū, his mind remaining willfully diligent. While the boy is immersed in unimaginable, bodily pain, his eyes refuse to falter, his attention still locked onto the immobilized Lieutenant despite the misfortune that had transpired in a blink. Had he still an arm left, the Captain is sure he would be able to muster the strength to deal a final blow against Nibui with his own blade. Victim to his whims in the Rikujōkōrō, all Yū would need to be victorious was a simple, horizontal slash, dismembering the lieutenant in the same manner he had successfully maimed the Fairy. But in this instance with not an arm to rely on, all Yū can do is begin his slow descent, his wings weakly beating to soften the eventual impact his body would endure upon reaching the ground; Subject to gravity, his limbs follow suit towards the smoke and ash that still has yet to even settle from his prior assault.

Yū's mind is already made up yet time begins to slow as the distance between the two grows.

'How embarrassing... And to rely on this so soon..."

... the Fairy contemplates. Selfishly, his doubt creeps from the darkest pits of his heart and his mind flashes to what they would think if they were to hear Yū had lost now... in such a manner as this? What of the diligently watching Commander? The very same who had confessed his concerns of the Soul Society's evident weakness. How could one of the strongest succumb so easily as his arms and lower body did in this very moment, freefalling to the valley floor? What else was there truly left for the Fairy to do to turn the tide? Unknown to him, the other matches in the Kenpachi Games are equally as tense with two of his peers having already utilized their Bankai and one reaching their near peak as a Vasto Lorde. Albeit, the circumstances were quite different among the matches that were underway, Yū had no time to dwell on his past mistakes- only the opportunity to shift the situation in his favor.

It was time again for another one of the Soul Society's greatest powers to unveil their greatest strengths. Blood begins to fill his throat yet refuses to come forth; He attempts to speak, but can only utter a word.

'I guess it can't be helped..."

Yet, one word is the only thing he needs.

Suddenly, Ichikō expels from its sheath in a white shard of light, before diving bladefirst into Yū’s chest. Upon insertion, a mighty column of reiatsu immediately erupts from his frame, instantly dissipating the smoke and ash that had still loosely clung to the bedrock. It’s only when Yū’s body is engulfed by the pillar of light that rockets forth that the Rikujōkōrō begins to weaken enough for the lieutenant to successfully attempt to break free. In a stunning display, rings of azure reiatsu cascade from the singular column that enshrouds him. If one focuses hard enough, rays of green can be seen piercing through the overwhelming blue as a blurred silhouette comes into focus to form a singular being. An already deep crater is expanded even further, subject to the gargantuan pressure that accompanies the Captain’s Bankai activation; His presence spreads endlessly, stretching for what could be miles and miles. What was once assumed as an utter defeat to those unaware who may be watching, now is evolved into a violent geyser of reiatsu overflowing with vitality and strength.

---

A few seconds pass before the rays of light gingerly begin to dim, following their complete extinguishment to reveal a both impressive, yet unsurprising vision.

“Nijitsubasa Ichikō."
(虹翼巫子, "Rainbow-Winged Shaman Child")

As if he had just arrived, the Captain looks untouched; Surely unrecognizable from the mounds of meat that had just fallen from the sky in a splash of blood moments ago. But, as the Seireitei’s greatest healer, one who has sustained injuries far greater- in more dire circumstances- under worse odds, Yū’s body language is enough to speak volumes.

His languid pose exudes overwhelming comfort as an unusual calm emanates from the Captain; The same, sudden panic that screamed through his expression moments ago is replaced by an odd tranquility- This same serenity as well is now present in his reiatsu. While abundant and easily identified to be rich in vigor and skull-crushing force, there is no sense of danger or concern that can be noted any longer, no suffocating pressure that was once there- that one would assume to linger with an activation of a Captain’s Bankai. Perhaps, this absence of pressure was intended: It was the boy showing his belly as an act of surrender, before his lips part to announce his withdrawal from their battle.

“To think I’ve done all this… and you have yet to say a word..."

But, with visually no blemishes and a clear abundance of reiatsu prevailing, what reason would the Captain have to concede now? Perhaps this sudden lull in their bout would alert Nibui to have a greater concern and to wonder…

“You really are... an irritating man, Nibui Ueki."

Just what was the Fairy’s plot now that his greatest trick and his most coveted secret was at play?

​

---

 

[Frog]

A rain of crimson ichor, the life essence of a dear friend, it rains onto the stones below, dying the charred landscape a dark red. As Yū’s blood is spilled, the young Captain is taken aback by the grievous injuries he suffered, understandably so. Even still, he prevails in keeping himself from becoming no more than another piece of unrecognizable rubble alongside the ash and shards of stone below. As his dear friend’s blood is spilled by his own efforts, it is almost as though Nibui himself was torn asunder by his own actions. In a mirror of Nibui, there is Jubokko, part of the Lieutenant but yet the two are worlds apart. Nibui is enveloped in dread and shame at what he has while fueled by the possibility of Honoka’s death. Jubokko is simply enraged beyond words, forced to watch the blood go to waste, the blood he so desperately craves. Like a rampant beast in a cage, the monstrous plant thrashes about wreaking havoc in its own domain.

The six golden rods that bind Nibui are all that had stood between the true demise of the Captain, they still hold the shell shocked Lieutenant as the fairy succumbs to gravity and gently glides down following the trail of his own crimson. His eyes follow the Captain down and whether he is of sound mind at this moment is difficult to grasp. Those charcoal orbs simply follow the boy, opened wider than usual. His mouth hangs agape and not a sound escapes his lips as he watches the Captain. These rods that hold firm against the Lieutenant, they bind him perfectly it seems, so much so that the Lieutenant has not given it any attempt to break past these bindings. Whether he is capable of going beyond the efforts of this Togabito the Captain once faced is yet to be determined, and in his current state, the truth is unlikely to be revealed.

“YOUUUU!!! YOU DAMNED IDIOT, WE WERE ALMOST THERE! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS PUSH PAST THAT FEEBLE LITTLE WALL!”

Among a field of ivory, monumental fists collide with bone, sending waves of shards flying everywhere as those wooden hands crater the boney wasteland. Pieces of skulls, femurs and every other bone pelt the Lieutenant as he silently stares at the rampaging hulk.

“SPEAK UP! I KNOW YOU’RE NO MUTE, BOY!”

Each word is filled with an unmatched ire, followed by a gargantuan hand that slams down meer inches in front of Nibui. As the fragile landscape buckles beneath the force and a wave of pressure flies outward alongside the many fragments of bone, Nibui is thrown back into an uncontrolled roll. He comes to a stop and only barely brings himself to his knees to gaze up at the blood-crazed spirit, much in the way he watches the descending fairy.

The flat faced giant leans in closer than ever, an eye that nearly eclipses Nibui stares him down as the tree spirit’s voice booms out once more. Strangely enough, the tone has shifted dramatically.

“It’s fine… It’s okay… We'll certainly get him next time! We just have to work together, it’s that simple.”

It is normal for the creaking of wood to follow each and every motion that Jubokko makes, but as he finishes speaking, there is a particularly awful sound that reverberates through the plan. As that lipless mouth curls slowly into a toothy and impossibly wide grin. Still soundless, Nibui simply listens. Between these two there will always be a struggle, although this time it is clear that the favour is heavily weighted towards Jubokko’s side.

“Listen closely, boy… Finish this as soon as you can, use everything I can possibly give you and take care of that brattish little gnat!”

Jubokko continues his monologue, clearly believing himself to be gaining some profitable ground in this exchange. Again the deafening creaking of wood against wood fills Nibui’s ears as Jubokko stands itself back up violently. Soon after that, the roaring tone of the tree booms out as it did before.

“FINISH THIS AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPILL ANYMORE BLOOD! IT’S A WIN WIN! GYAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Listen While Reading

“Bankai.”
“BAN-KAIIIII!!!”

In tandem, the very same word leaves the lips of both combatants. The Captain’s is eerily calm for someone in such a dire situation, devoid of any worry it seems. The Lieutenant’s is lacking in any of this patience and calm the Captain exists, instead of speaking this word of power, his call is a boneshaking howl.

The Captain’s transformation into his Bankai state is almost serene, if not for the terrifying force of his Reiatsu bearing down on the surrounding area. Yet again, Nibui’s lacks that quality. The Captain is engulfed in a pillar of azure, the ground beneath him buckling and cratering in submission. That ray of healing green energy goes unnoticed by Nibui, he is focused on something else entirely. Consuming any clear sight of the Lieutenant, like a scarlet supernova emitted from this Shinigami, he is consumed by his raging and wild crimson spiritual pressure. If it were not enough that the Captain had battered the landscape twice now, so too does Nibui’s reiatsu, not only crumpling the stone below under pressure but slicing it to pieces and crushing it simultaneously. It is almost as though an invisible demon runs rampant in this wave of crimson force, decimating whatever it pleases. In this moment, the landscape is split in two as two pressures clash; One half succumbing to the efforts of the Captain, the other equally submitting to those of the Lieutenant.

Of course, Nibui’s Reiatsu is not the only thing to rise. In tandem with the outburst of Reiatsu, the already unsettled stone below begins to rumble. Could there truly be an earthquake in these isolated planes that are so devoid of anything but land and sky? Of course not, at least not naturally. Even so, it is unlikely that anything may compare to the destruction that this pocket of existence is about to endure. Something monumental breaches the surface of the rocky terrain, like a gnarled wooden spear piercing the skies, Jubokko is given form. A great curved tree of dark knotted bark that stands above any structure either of these combatants may have previously seen before. At the peak of its ascent, a canopy of crimson foliage sprouts forth and blots out the sky. The forest that Honoka had previously created, dwarfed instantaneously beneath this monstrosity of a Bonsai tree.

And what of the Shinigami themselves? Once the energies dissipate, both red and blue, both Shinigami come into view. Yū stands in a listless position, completely rejuvenated, and for the most part it seems as though he has just now arrived. If not for his shredded and bloodsoaked attire, then there is no soul that could assume he had ever been wounded. From his back, his namesake shines, a pair of iconic wings that have given the Fairy prince his moniker. Nibui, despite previously being unharmed, now stands in what seems to be a much worse shape than the Fairy. Perhaps a familiar sight to the Captain, the same dark bark of Jubokko now imbeds itself within Nibui’s flesh. With the top half of his Shihakusho completely eviscerated, everything is left on display, the wooden carapace can be seen clearly climbing up along the Lieutenant’s body, with every second digging it’s roots into the Shinigami. The worst of this is his right arm, the arm that wields Jubokko itself, where once it was Nibui’s hand that held the handle of his Zanpakuto, it is now the Zanpakuto that buries itself into his arm. Literal roots extend outward from where the guard of his Zanpakuto would be, conjoining the two as one being entirely as they dig entirely into the Shinigami’s arm.

“Jubokko Kekkon Hata.”
(樹木子血痕畑, "Tree Child of the Bloodstained Field")

The two now stand both in a new form, one rejuvenated and the other slowly being siphoned of his own blood, by his own Zanpakuto. Nibui is free of the bindings that had been forced upon him and perhaps prematurely in the eyes of the Captain. While it is true that the infamous Togabito could not break free of these very same bindings without tearing himself in two, that very same Togabito cannot compare to the destructive power that comes with Nibui’s Bankai release. The golden rods that held him in place had been shattered and the remnants of the energy that formed them dispersed into the surroundings. If not for the Captain’s own Bankai, he too would likely have succumbed to the very same fate as the very same Kido that saved his life.

“To think I’ve done all this… and you have yet to say a word..."

The Captain is the first to speak out and for now, there is no clear indicative that his words reach his opponent.

“You really are... an irritating man, Nibui Ueki."

Whatever the response the Captain was expecting, the words that follow are sure to be nothing along those lines.

“Yū Nakamoto! Stand down, Please! I don’t want to spill any more blood!”

For the first time, in a public display, Nibui displays control over himself in his Bankai. Something that was previously impossible for the Lieutenant. The Shinigami and the Zanpakuto had come to an accord previously, but it was not free, Jubokko would get its blood one way or another. Be it from Nibui’s foes, or Nibui himself. However that is not to say that he is beyond Jubokko’s influence, even as he speaks, there are twitches of motions in his body that hint towards a possible advance that has yet to come. With Jubokko's words fueling his actions, the unknown factor of the Captain's Bankai only further intensified the ideas that swim around in his mind. In this fragile state of mind, Nibui is under duress and whether it is clear or not, he believes there are only two ways out of this situation. Either he ends the Captain’s life and there is no more blood to spill, or the Captain resigns from this event, allowing Nibui to relax for the moment.

 

[Samu]

“Yū Nakamoto! Stand down, Please! I don’t want to spill any more blood!”

Now, Nibui finally calls out to the Captain for the first time. While the lieutenant seems genuine in his concern and confident in his own power, he fails to understand the position Yū finds himself in. Already having taken a blow physically which in turn became a blow to his pride, Nibui’s call for his immediate withdrawal shortly after only offers an option for the boy to feel even more irritation.

“Tsk...”

His gaze now rises to meet Nibui’s, his frame even more so. His turquoise eyes are drawn to the sight not just of what has spawned behind the lieutenant but more importantly, the creature the lieutenant himself has become. Like the singular, gargantuan tree that towers above the battlefield and the very blade he wields, Nibui is covered in similar bark, further digging itself into his flesh mercilessly with every passing moment. Uncharacteristically, his body twitches every now and then, seemingly fighting the urge to keep control of himself like a beast behind bars. However, the Captain has faced fiercer beasts in the past with the most notable of them being the Vizard girl; Despite this, she at least had contained enough self-control to not push her own limits.

In Nibui’s case, Yū wasn’t too sure.

Though, what is most obvious to Yū is not the Shinigami’s physical transformation, but the drastic increase in his reiatsu, a violent abundance of energy that has been further augmented to become a torrential, crimson storm. Containing a force strong enough to rock the Seireitei many years before the lieutenant’s prime, the actual feel of Nibui’s reiatsu directly before him and its quaking of the valley is staggering, easily able to cripple others by its sheer presence. Still, the Captain remains unfazed, his blank expression static to show no concern or worry of the potential bloodbath that could follow.

‘Please…’

He further contemplates Nibui’s plea, his call for the Captain’s withdrawal— his cry for Yū to stand down.

‘You say you don’t want to… as if I’ll even let you…’’

A prideful and carefree man quickly begins to succumb to his own doubt, evolving now into a model of boiling envy. While Nibui struggles to resist the urges of Jubokko’s voice echoing in his mind, Yū easily falls victim to his own snowballing insecurity.

‘The fucking nerve of you…’’

As if a wire has short-circuited, the Captain’s eyes now instantly widen, his placid gaze intensifying into one of white-hot rage. His reiatsu as well flexes, waves of energy flowing to replace the absence of pressure he had allowed prior. The crater that encircles where the Fairy once stood is further beaten even more, the weight of his reiatsu expanding its already vast size. What once was a land dominated by Nibui’s overwhelming reiatsu is now met with an equally strong force, a testament to the Captain’s reiryoku control, able to emit his just above-average reiryoku to imitate a monumental pressure belonging to a dominant monster. Aided by his flexibility in how swift he’s able to amplify his reiatsu, no doubt his opponent would at the very least be shocked, finding themselves at a loss for words— at most perhaps even flinch with this sudden presentation.

Yet, his following proclamation would prove to be even more bone-chilling.

“If you really think you can even touch me again… I’ll just have to kill you first.”

A famed pacifist speaks words of an acclimated killer, his reiatsu echoing his sentiments with its steadily increasing output. There is no longer any doubt attached to the Captain’s next actions- no misunderstanding of what his intentions truly are. Unless the Fairy was a master manipulator, capable of hiding his sometimes mercurial temperament that effectively, the lieutenant should know by now that withdrawal would not be in Yū’s future. Declaring such a premise was insulting to the Captain’s dignity who had joined the games out of duty to test the might of his competitors, no matter how barbaric he viewed this assumed way of establishing their hierarchy.

Instead, to be cut down so soon and then withdraw with his tail tucked… Regardless if he was prone to avoiding violence— regardless if he didn’t want to injure someone he especially had considered a friend, such an act would be seen as nothing but degrading and would only bring a stain to the doctor’s clean name. Withdrawing would never be an option and as a master of Kaidō, his own death would not even be present on the menu.

Unknown to the Fairy, for Nibui, this match had always been life or death.

For Yū, it was now life or shame.

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