It was quiet. Aed was simply standing in the middle of the empty Rukongai district, all the shops closed and all people back in their homes. The lights illuminated the district, the shadows clinging against the wall while hiding from the strength of the light. Aed stood quietly underneath the light, his arms wrapped to his chest while his trench coat swayed in the breeze, showing his upper body. If one had sharp eyes, they could catch the gentle swinging of his three zanpakuto sheathes against his hip. The Captain of the Second Division stood there, with his eyes closed and not saying a single word. His mere presence made the shadows attempt to try and reach for Aed's form but he payed them no mind. Someone had desired to meet him here, he didn't know who but he had a willingness to respond. So here he stood, simply waiting for the individual's approach.
◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤ 'Yesterday I died; tomorrow's bleeding Fall into your sunlight The future's open wide beyond believing To know why hope dies'
The shadow of the day... Will embrace the world in grey...
The silence continued for several long moments. Soon enough, the shadow warped and pooled- gradually stretching across the surface of each individual building. "Sorry for being a bit late..." A young voice uttered from no particular direction. Finally, in front of Aed, a splotch of red hair began to emerge from the shadows cast upon the ground. The figure rose higher from the ground, revealing the form of a young man. His jade green eyes peered from beneath crimson-red bangs. His sleeveless kosode was unnaturally black, and his zanpakuto was already drawn and firmly held in his right hand.
"My name is Ringo Maruyama. I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper in Karakura and Tokyo..." He introduced himself as he had learned to do from Akio-san. To Ringo, fighting was not so much an expression of anger and rage. It was an event where two individuals could constructively interact and challenge the other. Fighting, to Ringo, was an art. "Are you the opponent that was selected for me?" He asked, sheathing his zanpakuto into the horizontal scabbard attached across his waist.
And the sun will set for you...
Eko Domini Tsurugi
OOC: I'm going to have his bankai available in this battle with the same abilities I told you about (I think). If you need a point of reference I can PM you his bankai abilities
All was quiet. Aed's eyes remained closed, his mind alert o the surroundings about him. The light continued to flicker above him while his trench coat continued to billow. Right as the moon revealed itself, the light reflecting off of it, did a stir in the peace of the environment occur, right in front of Aed, actually. The Division Two Captain took note of this, not moving at all for the said moment. Yet as soon as the man appeared, identifying himself, did Aed open his eyes, while not recognizing the Reiatsu signature, the man knew the name. Aed knew many names. Ringo's however, was one that he was forced to know. Substitute Shinigami. Of those sort, Aed was familiar with, having had individuals of his division monitor them from time to time. And obviously, from Ringo's arrival, the man opposite him was a shadow user...interesting.
After Ringo's introduction, Aed merely nodded his head in response towards his words. "I am Aed." he spoke, his eyes piercing towards Ringo's. "And I suppose you presume correctly." Aed continued to make no movement, absorbing all of Ringo's physical features while breaking down what he could concerning his physical features and Reiatsu. Ringo was capable. That much was certain. But it struck the thought of how capable the man truly was. .. Aed immediately cut off that thought off immediately. Such thoughts garnered speculation, and over speculation resulted in over confidence if given the opportunity, and there was no need for that to happen. Watching Ringo, Aed spoke once more, "Your move, I believe." Time to stratergize.
◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤ 'Yesterday I died; tomorrow's bleeding Fall into your sunlight The future's open wide beyond believing To know why hope dies'
The shadow of the day... Will embrace the world in grey...
"Right... Nice to meet you." Ringo said in response, as Aed mentioned that it was Ringo's turn to start first. For a moment there, Ringo paused. He brushed a single lock of his red hair away from his eyes- clearing the view of his surroundings. "I see... Well, I'm in no place to educate you Aed-sama, however fighting isn't something planned. It's an art. It is an abstract technique. It just... happens..." As he spoke, Ringo had already made a mental breakdown of each aspect of his opponent. He could not conclude what the man's power, and based on Aed's reiatsu signature Ringo could only conclude that his reiatsu was not very powerful... or was it just suppressed? The man could just be so strong, he didn't even need it. Ringo could only expect one of two things. He would have to do something to find out.
Only one way to find out... An impulse made it's way throughout Ringo's body. His muscles acted on their own. He leapt into the air, prepared himself in a wonderfully executed kick and rocketed straight towards Aed.
'This is a full-on attack, quick, a little reckless...' Ringo thought to himself '-but I have my fast reaction time to depend on.... I got this....'
And the sun will set for you...
Eko Domini Tsurugi
OOC: I'm going to have his bankai available in this battle with the same abilities I told you about (I think). If you need a point of reference I can PM you his bankai abilities
Aed simply stood, looking at Ringo with his piercing eyes. Others would think him emotionless but if one looked properly, they could see that his eyes were twitching, watching every little fraction of Ringo's body movements. Even as Ringo spoke, Aed watched everything. Every word his lips pronounced, every movement of his eyes and twitch of his limbs. As soon as Ringo leapt forward in a full kick with his right hand, Aed was already prepared, speaking right before Ringo launched his assault. "All art does not happen. Some art is made of the greatest intention for it to occur." Aed merely watched as Ringo came launching forward, about five seconds to impact before Aed responded, placing his right hand on the right side of Ringo's leg and pushing the kick away, right upon the pushoff, Aed extended two fingers and shot a small jab at the upper thigh on Ringo's leg, aiming directly at the pressure point held within. If it hit, a small jolt of lightning would erupt from Aed's fingertips and enter the pressure point, completely paralyzing the leg for a couple of minutes. But even then, Aed stepped away, his eyes narrowed as he dodged the attack entirely. "Fighting isn't making art. Fighting is killing. And killing is making corpses. Fanciness is not required for , cutting someone twenty times and letting them bleed from their wounds then passing out from bloodloss, from which you can end the fight from when it started. Killing is killing."
◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤ 'Yesterday I died; tomorrow's bleeding Fall into your sunlight The future's open wide beyond believing To know why hope dies'
The shadow of the day... Will embrace the world in grey...
'Thigh'- the word resonated throughout Ringo's head as he drew his leg away from the jab in time to avoid getting hit. Little did Ringo even know that he would've had quite a shock had the attack successfully landed. Ringo pried himself away, flipping in midair- and landing in a neat crouch on the other end. 'So he seems clearly capable of keeping up to my speed. Usually that's my advantage. His reaction time seems pretty good too... I should probably reconsider what I'm doing.'Ringo thought to himself, analyzing the situation the way an artist might gaze upon an unfinished painting. 'My plan is missing something...'
"I never said killing. I never said fighting was making art either. Fighting is an art. The intention tonight is not to kill- at least, it's not my intention. The intention was to fight. If I am going to cross blades with you, I want to see your form of this art. I'd like to see how you approach the canvas- how you organize the patterns." He paced himself. "I believe it is your move." Ringo was not used to being an offensive fighter. He balanced the two evenly. Had he been the one making moves the whole time the battle would not go much farther beyond attacks being made and blocked.
And the sun will set for you...
Eko Domini Tsurugi
OOC: I'm going to have his bankai available in this battle with the same abilities I told you about (I think). If you need a point of reference I can PM you his bankai abilities
"True. But to practice the art of fighting, at least in our field, is to prepare for killing. So, as hypocritical as it may sound now...killing is my art." They were very undertone but there was a deeper message to that that would allow Ringo to recognize perhaps who Aed was. Aed stood, staring at Ringo for a couple more moments before perhaps the smallest hint of a smile gleaned upon the sides of his lips. Aed's hands however, still did not traverse towards the sheathes that were bound at his waist. Rather, he continued to stare down Ringo, still analyzing every single part of his body to grasp what the man's next move would be, whether it offensive or defensive. Ringo however, would have to keep his eyes sharp. For there was two twitches of muscle in Aed's lower legs and it appeared as if he had moved, the sound of feet clicking and pushing off occurring almost one after another, seemingly all at the same time. But if Ringo's ears were attentive to this, they would not notice the four shots of black lightning rushing towards him from the four noises, rushing quickly towards Ringo at a close range shot. It was obvious what had happened. Aed had moved, making almost no sound and with the faintest hint of afterimages dispersing behind him. There was no Shunpo involved. None at all.
And upon his final shot, Aed had pushed off into the sky, a massive leap that sent him careening upwards with his hands in a flat position, palms facing downward towards the ground where Ringo was, Aed's eyes glowing dark as electricity began to emulate into his palms...preparing for another strike as he watched how Ringo would proceed, Aed's own reiatsu signature still lower than Ringo's.
◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤ 'Yesterday I died; tomorrow's bleeding Fall into your sunlight The future's open wide beyond believing To know why hope dies'
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