Gathering Darkness (Karzan/Open)

[Kyoshin Oscuro]

Kyoshin was leaning against a wall that still stood in the ruins of El Dia, perfectly hidden by the shadows. He examined his hand with sudden interest, moving his fingers then closing them into a fist. It was, after all, rather new to him. How long had it been since Karzan had turned him into an Arrancar, and he got this strange human body? It didn't feel that long ago, when he was still burning with hatred for Karzan, when he was still but a Hollow. How did everything change when he became an Arrancar? Karzan, once his sworn enemy, was now his ally, and Kyoshin had to forget all of his feelings, if that's what they were...

After all, Arrancar didn't really have hearts, did they? He placed his hand on his chest, absentmindedly feeling his Hollow hole. Maybe it wasn't hate for Karzan he had born, maybe it was just revenge he hungered after. Desire, that was something a Hollow was allowed. Human emotions were so deceptive, so whimsical and indecisive... But desire, that was real. "Drown in desire and desire everything," he muttered to himself.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"Stop talking to yourself," Karzan to Kyoshin from atop a wrecked wall of the ruins near where he had hidden himself, "and come out from those shadows. You need to do some training, get used to that new body."

[Kyoshin Oscuro]

"As you wish, oh Lord of the Deep," Kyoshin responded, standing up and unsheathing out his sword. "Shall we start with swords, or use our releases?" Kyoshin was obviously more comfortable with the latter, as swords were still somewhat foreign to him, despite the teachings he had already received from Karzan. He had learned quickly, and was reasonably skilled, yet still preferred to use his Hollow tactics in battle.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"Address me by my name Kyoshin," Karzan said as he allowed himself to fall down from the wall to his feet, "if you feel the need to be formal, simply address me as 'Lord Karzan'. Using my full title irks me."


Karzan considered Kyoshin's question, taking it seriously, because he despised restraining his full power in battle, but realized the tactical need to hide his true strength from enemies.

"How about this?" Karzan said as he though up a proposition, "We start with naught but our limbs as our weapons, then should one of us find the pressure too much or simply wishes to raise the challenge of the fight higher, we simply draw our swords. Likewise, once we have advanced to using our blades, if one feels the need to move up to the next level, we simply release?"

[Kyoshin Oscuro]

Sheathing his sword again, Kyoshin walked out of the shadows and faced Karzan from about three yards away. "Hand to hand, then? Shall Cero be involved?"

[Karzan Zaraki]

"Only if you want to use it," Karzan said as he rotated his neck to crack the bones a little, "I use it quite often usually, but if you'd rather not I have no issues...I'm partial to Bala."

Settling into a lower stance, Karzan bent his legs at the knees, and placed the left foot ahead of his right, preparing to start the bout as soon as the terms were agreed upon.

[virgil]

"...One more rule, and that is that this battle is a free for all between three arrancar, not two." Virgil announced his presence to the two arrancar appearing near the ruins that Kyoshin had laid against, staring at them with a battle hungry "mask" over his face. He had followed Kyoshin out here, wanting to test the new espada to combat, but it seemed the lord of the deep had beat him here. He swayed his tail back and forth gently as he looked over at the two, a sign that he was eager to jump into a fight, even if the two were just going to be training. "...Training with Slyx has grown boring, so I will be joining your fight Lord of the Deep...I hope the second in command can make things interesting." The lion gave a sharp toothed grin to the two of them, obviously joining the fight regardless of what they wanted.

[Kyoshin Oscuro]

"Accepted." Without any further talk, Kyoshin spun around, running directly at Virgil and throwing his right fist at Virgil's mask. He was leaving himself completely open to attack, but didn't notice.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"I don't think so."

Before Kyoshin's punch could make contact, Karzan suddenly appeared between the two Arrancar, having used Sonido to move. Catching Kyoshin's fist in his right hand, Karzan shoved forward, moving the Second-in-Command back slightly, but not outright throwing him. When Kyoshin was on hie feet again, Karzan would continue to speak.

"I have a proposition for you two," Karzan said with a smile, "Kyoshin is but recently become an Arrancar, so it seems unfair for him to have to fight two enemies when he has yet to acclimatize himself to his new body. I suggest that in this bout he is allied to myself, and I will direct him, fighting alongside him, but focusing on the defense. Is that all right with you Virgil?"

[virgil]

Virgil watched the second in command move closer to him and prepare a strike to the chimera's face, but even before Karzan had stopped the young arrancar's advance Virgil witnessed the lack of combat prowess almost immediately. Karzan's interruption allowed the second in command to avoid some major damage, as Virgil had already devised a counter to such an open attack. The segunda espada had never lifted his arms before Karzan had changed the rules. "If that is what the lord of the deep wishes, then I have no complaints." He said simply in his more calm voice, keeping his thoughts to himself on the matter. Virgil then leapt back from the two quite a distance closer to the entrance of the ruins, and invited them to truly begin their little training session.

[Kyoshin Oscuro]

"Alright, then." Looking first at Karzan and then at Virgil, Kyoshin jumped up to the wall Karzan originally stood on, then leapt at his opponent. This time coming from a different angle, Kyoshin pulled his left fist back and aimed for Virgil, hoping to double the impact of the hit with the force of his fall. He was showing his ineptitude at hand to hand combat again, as his attack was rather unstable, and gave Virgil too much time to anticipate it and devise an appropriate reaction.

[Karzan Zaraki]

Karzan smiled as Kyoshin continued to jump right into the action despite his inexperience.

"Careful there Kyoshin," Karzan said as he readied himself to defend Kyoshin from Virgil's counter should he need to, "your Hierro is as nothing to the Segunda, and his tail can be a real nuisance."

((Alright, to make this easier, I'm modifying the post order slightly. So from here on it goes Virgil, me, then Kyoshin. So next is Virgil, then me again, then Kyoshin))

[virgil]

((Ok, So Karzan's post after mine.))

Virgil kept his hands to his side as Kyoshin approached him from above with a downward punch. The inexperience would give the espada plenty of time to counter the attack but stood his ground and allowed Kyoshin to get in close, just as his fist would come down however it would suddenly be stopped. Virgil's tail had come up and simply wrapped itself around his arm, preventing him from following through his attack.

"... The Heir of the Deep will need more strength for such an attack to be effective against me." He warned as the strength behind his tail would then be seen by the second in command right there, as if to prove Karzan's warning true. The tail lifted him upward before whipping back downward and releasing him, throwing over towards the wall of the ruins with incredible force.

Virgil did not stop there though, as this was training, so as soon as he released the arrancar he would lift his hand up and charge a cero in his palm. "You better learn how to use that body fast, or you won't last long..." The chimera thought to himself as he released the blast of red energy from his palm at Kyoshin.

[Karzan Zaraki]

Using Sonido, Karzan got behind Kyoshin as he moved backward through the air. He stopped his subordinates journey short, by grabbing his arm and pulling him roughly to the ground.

"Keep your wits about you," Karzan said gruffly, "you should be well informed of the effect a Cero from a powerful enemy can have when it hits its target."

Releasing Kyoshin, Karzan used Sonido, to move away from him, then tossed a Bala in Virgil's direction, to try and give Kyoshin a decent amount of time to react.

[Kyoshin Oscuro]

"Enough play," said Kyoshin, his voice suddenly cold and emotionless. Swiftly drawing his zanpakuto, he performed a precise vertical slice which cut directly though the oncoming Cero, the mass of energy splitting into two halves which flew by on either side of the Second in Command, leaving him unscathed. Drawing back to his full height, he pointed his sword at the Segunda and shouted, "Draw your Zanpakuto, Virgil; I've grown tired waiting to draw blood." His face was suddenly passionless and cruel, as if he had run out of patience with his opponent.

[virgil]

Virgil leapt backward from the bala, just barely avoiding the attack. At the same time, it seemed the second command had mustered up enough strength to cut through his cero. And yet, when Kyoshin demanded the segunda remove his sword the chimera seemed unimpressed. Instead of replying to the demand he instead charged straight for the arrancar at full speed. Just as he reached him he would quickly whip his tail into the ground to launch himself over the arrancar and would deliver a swift kick to his back. If it landed it would send him hurling forward.

The chimera would land neatly on his two feet and look over at the the second in command. "I apologize that the heir of the deep is so eager to draw blood..." he began to say, pausing a moment to allow a grin to crawl across his face, "...Perhaps if the Heir manages to injure me, I'd consider removing this sword from my side. However, until necessary I will do no such thing, you have given me no reason to." He would then rush forward, firing two bala's off to the sides as a distraction before coming at Kyoshin to try and deliver a spinning kick to his stomach. "It's those with power that decide anything, You need to prove you have the power to keep up with me as I currently am before I take this fight to the next level, otherwise it may end too soon." He admitted a bit with a laugh, taunting him in the hopes of getting a better fight out of the deal.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"Forgetting something Virgil?" Karzan said as he blocked the chimera's spinning kick, "I'm still here."

Shoving Virgil away, Karzan drew his own weapon, and swiped at Virgil to try and make him jump back further.

"Also, the term you've applied to Kyoshin is incorrect," Karzan said as he got into a ready position, "he is heir to nothing, if I die he takes the throne only if he can defeat the others who seek it...also, I suggest you do as he says and draw your sword. The terms of the battle were set, and those terms require you to use your sword as soon as someone has bared their own blade....also, he still outranks you, and is your commander."

[Kyoshin Oscuro]

Virgil's kick aimed at Kyoshin's back sent him flying, Kyoshin landing on his knees and sliding to a halt. Rising to his feet, he pointed his sword at the Segunda again.

"As you so politely refused the chance I gave you to arm yourself," said Kyoshin, a murderous grin spreading across his face, "I guess it's my turn." Dashing towards Virgil with his Zanpakuto in one hand, Kyoshin took a wide slash at Virgil's chest, then followed up by butting at Virgil with the hilt of his Zanpakuto. "As I asked you before," Kyoshin commanded coldly, "draw your sword."

[virgil]

Virgil jumped back from Karzan's slash, as the lord of the deep intended. "The second in command is not an heir then? I suppose he serves some other purpose, my apologies." He said to himself mostly as he stepped back a fair distance from Karzan's sword slash. Virgil then waited for Kyoshin to approach him and deliver his slash, which the chimera simply ducked down to avoid the slash before pushing off the ground backward to avoid the second part of the arrancar's attack with the hilt of his sword. As he rolled back he would swing his right foot up at the second in commands chin to send him away from him.

Back on his feet he stood tall and looked at his adversaries. "If he is "ordering" me to use my sword, as the lord of the deep is suggesting, then I shall raise my blade. Know that I was no worse off with out it, Commander." he said the last part towards Kyoshin before he moved forward again lifting his right hand up as if to motion for the sword with his hand but as he got close his tail instead wrapped around the hilt of the weapon and removed it from it's sheath. With the sword held in his powerful tail, he would whip the blade at Kyoshin with his impressive strength while turning to Karzan and kicking up debris of the ruins with his right foot to distract him. His raised right hand would begin to charge a cero.

[Karzan Zaraki]

As Virgil kicked up debris to distract him, Karzan would use Sonido to head right at the Segunda, ignoring the fragments of stone and the sand. As he arrived at Virgil's location, he would bring his right knee up, and knock the hand that Virgil was charging his Cero in, so that when he fired the blast, it would head up into the sky harmlessly, then jumped backward, avoiding interfering to much, so that Kyoshin was still the focus of Virgil's attention.