Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open]

Byakuya Kuchiki:ADV-0

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] Bleach90byakuya

The air was crisp, blowing through the emptying branches of the many trees which surrounded the quite river, all that could be heard by anyone who just so happened to be walking the streets this late was the occasional chirping of crickets and the steady breeze as it whistled on in it's endless journey into the unknown; for no one knew where the wind went as soon as it passed it's destination. A tall man with hair as black as the night sky was out for a peaceful walk by the river, a place he was drawn to for it's serenity and natural quiet; simply enjoying the swift autumn breeze as it blew through his long hair. The one the he enjoyed about the human world was how much he was able to actually relax, there wasn't the paper work he had normally, there wasn't the strenuous task of being a clan leader here; he could be more at ease, despite the mission he was tasked with. Now he still held himself with the air of an aristocrat, he certainly wasn't going to go untamed just because of his new found tranquility, and he certainly didn't go without his luxuries and his lavish abode was proof of such.

Eventually during his walk Byakuya stopped and found himself a nice tree to perch under, taking a seat under the golden leaves of a sturdy tree; he let himself close his eyes and he took slow and deep breaths, seeming to be meditating or sleeping with how still he was; soaking in the sounds of the evening. Despite his relaxed state his guard was still on high, alert for any enemies who might be lurking about, though he liked his down time his duty as a Shinigami still came above all else, so even though he seemed to be at ease he was ready to spring into action at any given moment.

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] 20120808033045-1-1

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] Yellow-swirl-hi

Just at the bank of the river, a garganta opened up, revealing a swirling darkness inside. Out of that darkness came an oddly cheerful sight of a skipping blonde girl who hummed a heroic tune to herself as she emerged. The garganta closed the same time she came to a halt, with a graceful spin of course even if her legs still showed some damage from her fight before. Rou looked sloppy in the way her long sleeves were swept around by the wind, and even more so as it caught her tangled mess of hair, sending the long locks every which way to knot them together even more. However it didn't seem like she exatly cared, still humming that tune with a large grin as she looked around, searching for something it seemed. She closed her eyes and paid what attention she was capable of, seeking out any substantial spiritual pressures, and much to her luck there was one close by. Very close by. She opened her eyes, a look of confusion falling upon her features. "Where..." she looked to her right and just down the river some she spotted a man sitting beneath a tree, seeming to just relax.

"It can't be that easy" she told herself but no matter how she doubted it, it seemed to be true. There was certainly an easy way to confirm it though. "Hey Mister!!" She called out, cupping her hands around his mouth so she was even louder. Following that she swung her hands back and forth within the air, leaping high into the air as she flailed about. If he was aware at all then there was no way he wouldn't notice her, if he hadn't already. "Hey Mister bad guy!" she called again, her face lighting up with excitement. She was going to get to serve her lord for real this time, in a real battle as a champion. It was magnificent and she couldn't stand to hold in her joy. So despite how serious a battle like this should have been, she curled in on herself, squealing at the top of her lungs.

"I have to fight you now kay!" she told him, shoving her hands into opposite sleeves and messing with something there. A moment later she pulled them back, revealing her black butterfly swords, one in each hand. "Unless of ocurse you want to come along willingly..." she murmured, thinking it over in her head, which was indeed possible despite what people thought. "I guess that would be okay...maybe,,,sure yeah!" she nodded with a sweet smile, giving the man time to decide.

Byakuya Kuchiki:ADV-0

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] Bleach90byakuya

His eyes opened and he instantly stood up just from feeling the near by spiritual pressure, he didn't need the voice to tell him someone had found him as he tried to hide from the world for some rest; his soft gray eyes set on the figure a distance from him and his hand gripped Senbonzakura's hilt in preparation for a fight, all his movements were instinctual having been breed into him from his many years of training and battle. With the gracefulness of a falling cherry blossom petal he shunpoed over towards the woman, with the blink of an eye he was standing five feet in front of her; completely alert and on high guard. "I will not be going anywhere." Byakuya replied swiftly, his tone was collected and carried strength which his demeanor backed up with ease. It was clear he was in no mood to be captured as the girl had said, especially not after the literal Hell he had been through.

He was put off by the fact that his opponent seemed like a little child and was female, but he knew better than to assume anything or drop his guard simply because of that; the chivalry in him from his life as a nobleman conflicted with the warrior he was, he had fought women before but he never truly enjoyed it(not that he enjoyed fighting all that much anyhow) and if he could he would prefer not to fight them at all; yet even so it didn't show on his stoic expression, he was a fighter and that meant defeating his opponent, if it happened to be a woman then so be it; it was a situation of her or him and he certainly wasn't going to let it be him.

He kept a position which could turn defensive in an instant should he need it, and he knew after his reply the girl would certainly attack in hopes of bringing him down by force, so he prepared himself for it. The blade of his zanpakuto was drawn slightly from it's sheath for the ability for a quick draw and his stance was relaxed for easy movement; now all that was left was to wait for how she would reacted and the manner in which she decided to attack.

The moment the man took hold of his sword Rou knew her answer. Her face seemed to drop some. For some reason she had really had her hopes up. She wanted to complete her task as soon as she could, and please her lord before all the others and prove just how loyal she was to him. But then again now she could show her passion for her lord, and fight with all of her might to serve him. So once again her face beamed with glee when the shinigami gave a verbal reply to her. "Okay then Mr.Baddie, have it your way~" her voice was almost singsongy as she accepted his reply. She huffed out a deep breath, showing a face that resembled pity. "But first tell me!" the blonde held her hands up, as a sign to hold off for a moment. "Are you strong or a weakling?" She tilted her head to one side. It was important to know for her mission's purpose afterall. And of course being the hero even some one super strong would be taken down easily. It would just be too hard to tell.

"You know what.." she lowered her hands. "You can tell me after, kay? Cause I'm not supposed to kill you so I'll ask again then!" she gave a quick nod The way she spoke made it seem like the end result was something obvious. She had no idea who she was fighting nor what their abilities were but she was never really one to pay attention to things like that. A hero couldn't be stopped, even against an army of strong enemies. There was nothing to worry about then.

"Alright!" She leapt up, throwing her fist into the air in an excited manner. When her toes of one foot barely made contact with the ground again, the espada instantly launched into a sonido, leaving the sight of any normal person. She appeared before the man, in a twirl of sorts. One of her blades led her, slashing to cut across Byakuya's chest. Her other arm was a few seconds after. Istead of following the same path she swung her arm over her head so it would come down vertically, over his left shoulder. As she did so, rou'd green eyes were wide, fixed on her opponent. Her smile was even wider though, taking up much of her face. Her hair was flung around by her movements enough to show her full face with its childish joy and all of her black markings, including the number 3 upon her cheek, revealing her rank among other arrancars.

Byakuya Kuchiki:ADV-0

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] Bleach90byakuya

As soon as he saw her vanish he withdrew his zanpakuto from his sheath and got into a ready stance, searching her out, ready to whip around to his back or side if need be; then he saw the flash dim light reflect off the metal of her blades and saw her reappear in front of him and with lightning fast reaction time he brought his zanpakuto before his person in a diagonal position which guarded both his chest and shoulder from each of her blades, with a burst of speed he pushed off her swords and vanished in a blur. The result of the force of his counter and his quick speed would hopefully be enough to throw her off her balance and cause her to stagger, leaving her more susceptible to a direct attack; that was the hope anyhow, and to aid him he suppressed his reiatsu so he wouldn't be so easy to detect.

While she would still be disoriented from his previous action, if it did what he would have liked, he would be to her left behind her and five feet above her; his blade cocked back in a diagonal arc. When he was about a foot away he slashed from the left, aiming for a vertical cut from her hip up to her left shoulder; if that attack connected he would shunpo in front of her and keep in a close range as he attempted to slash horizontally across her chest from the right to the left in a swift motion of his blade, all the while keeping his reiatsu suppressed. If his attacks connected they would not be fatal attacks, but they would do enough damage to hopefully make her drop one of her weapons and be in a weakened state.

If his first attack failed he would use his speed planned for offense as a means of escaping her possible counter to his attack and would distance himself from her by twenty feet, he would wind up in front of her. The distance meant to give him plenty of time to think of his next course of action, maybe he would use some kido spells in hopes of ending this fight before it drug on too much; maybe he would release his shikai if the time and situation were right. But this all depended on whether or not his first attack hit, if it did he would go from there and prepare for whatever she would do in retort.

He had caught her blades. Rou smiled cheerfully. He was a strong one. She could tell already. Her lord would be so proud of his knight when she brought this man in. She was already radiating a glow of pride and the fight had only just begun. It seemed too early in the story for a devastating plot twist. She wouldn't be defeated yet. There was no possible way.

As Byakuya pushed her away with his own sword, Rou took a few quick steps back, her right leg nearly giving out which caused her even more trouble. Her previous fight in the town was still taking its toll upon her legs.She let out a quiet hiss as she stumbled and caught herself, stopping her legs from buckling with her own will. However she wasn't quiet fast enough to recover and counter the attack from her behind to the best of her ability. Sure she stepped forward enough to not be too heavily injured but she still felt the blade tear shallowly across her back. That and taking that step forward seemed to be playing right along. Her eyes caught sight of the flash as light reflected off the man's blade. The espada raised her blades as fast as she could to catch it mid slash between them, stopping his sword just as it was but inches from her flesh. She struggled for a moment but as she regained her composure, Rou ducked down, letting dropping one of her blades to the ground and likely freeing byakuya's own. In the midst if this she had raised her leg to aim a solid kick at the man's side, hoping to send the man flying.

with her now free hand she was charging up a yellow orb withing her hand as she took aim in whatever direction he had gone, either along with her kick if it was taken or looking to whichever way he dodged to. Or he was was unlucky and simply caught it, then he'd certainly be in some trouble when she released the yellow cero and a large blast. With the Cero fired she leapt to the side, picking up her forgotten blade in the process. She landed with a slide, crossing her blades infront of her and preparing for whatever the man had in store for her.

Byakuya Kuchiki:ADV-0

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] Bleach90byakuya

As soon as he saw her leg launch toward him he made a move to dodge, using his shunpo to completely avoid the kick and give himself a good distance of fifteen feet; however when he saw the light of her cero his eyes narrowed into slits, utilizing his shunpo again he just barely got out of the way, not having enough time to dodge completely even with his tremendous speed as his aid. His left arm got caught in the blast and was scorched by the intense heat of her cero but otherwise he got away alright, alright meaning fair damage and his life.

His new distance after narrowly dodging her cero was now twenty feet, a perfect distance for an idea he had come up with during the last series of events; first he used his shunpo to vanish, even concealing his reiatsu so that he could not be tracked. Next; he had reappeared in front of the woman by three feet and lunged straight at her chest where he noticed an opening, then he would launch an almost point blank Sōkatsui blast at her, the wide burst of energy would be hard for her to dodge at such a close range and if she took the blast head on it would most likely cause some massive damage to her.

Whether his first attack connected or not did not matter to him, he would still use the Sōkatsui against her and potentially catch her in an overwhelming energy blast, and either way he would jump back a good thirty feet after launching the blast in preparation of her possible counter or cushion of the blow, which he suspected to be a cero of her own; certainly he did not want to get caught up in the blast, so he made sure that after the kido was deployed he distanced himself enough from her to escape the damage such a large explosion could do; of course that's assuming she did indeed counter with her cero, he was simply being cautious.

"Neh!!! I got him!" Rou cheered with a leap, throwing her fist up. It might have only been his arm but it was good enough for Rou to be pleased as her cero scorched skin.The blonde had been far too busy cheering for herself to notice that Byakuya had disappeared. She was in the middle of a repetition of twirls when the man shunpoed ahead of her, his hado ready. She blinked a once with wide green eyes at her smile instantly changed to a frown. Thinking fast she held her hand out in front of her. She didn't have much time to charge up the cero withing her palm as she held it out at the same moment the shinigami released his Sokatsui. Had she been paying attention and had more time her results probably would have been better but she had given in to her lack of attention once again. Her cero did it's job to at least aid in shielding her. She was sent sliding back with its force, the blast separating around her though it grazed at her arms and legs. When bothe blasts faded out Rou was standing in shallows of the river, steam coming off of its surface and surround the heaving girl. Her arms and legs burned, sleeves and shoes both effectively having holes in them now.

The girl stumbled out of the water, hissing every few steps. "Owie...you really are a strong one. My lord will be so proud!" just as soon as she had moaned out in pain her voice had changed to a cheerful one. "But you know.." she looked at Byakuya, crossing her arms as she tapped her chin, appearing like she was thinking. "I don't thinkk this is really going to work..." she hung her head and pouted. "Just think how great of a story it will be! Using all my power to take down the bad guy to present him to my lord! it's wonderful! Oh! And since you'll have to survive you can tell the story two! You better not change it to make yourself look good" she warned, pointing her finger in a scold way before giggling. It was like she had completely forgotten she was in the middle of a serious fight. Or at least it had seemed that way before she returned her butterfly blades to their holsters, instead reaching back behind her to draw her zanpakuto from its black sheath. She had said all of her power and she meant it.

"Burakkusutingā!" With the shout of those words a blast of yellow lighting crashed down from the sky around her, roaring out its power in thunder. It surged for only a few seconds before dispersing in a powerful blast that would really do know more than cause strong winds. When the dust cleared around her, the tercera's new form was revealed. Her arms and abdomen were covers in an armor of strong bone, her arms and legs adorned with spikes oozing with tick black liquid. Her face was halfway covered with a smiling mask of sharp teeth. In replacement of er swords she held two white lances, their tips too dripping with the black liquid.

"What do you think Mr.Bad Guy?" she called, crossing her lances in an X in front of her as she stared at the man. "You're really lucky your able to see it~" her voice was muffled behind her mask but it was clear the girl was amused and smiling just as widely as the teeth of her mask were. "Not so lucky that you have to fight me though~" without another word, Rou pushed off the ground with her lances. She was gone from sight, flying through the air in sonido with even more speed than before. When she next appears she was just before the man, throwing the lance in her right hand forward, soon followed by the second in case he were to take a step back.

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] 13554410

ADV-0 Hankou: 10 Reiryoku: 14 Hakudo: 8 Seijuu: 16 Bukijuu: 16 Hoho: 16

His expression remained calm as he watched her enter her resureccion form, not intimidated in the least bit by the burst of speed she produced when she launched her attack, he had fought an Arrancar in Resureccion before, so he was quite aware of the advantages the release could give them. Using shunpo he dodged to the right and back of her attacks, missing the first of her lances and barely avoiding the other, taking the tip and gaining a cut along his torso; it was short and moderately deep, painful but not life threatening nor debilitating, yet still his expression remained impassive, he did not so much as flinch when the lance tip dug into and tore his flesh.

Taking another jump backwards Byakuya stood approximately ten feet from the girl, looking at her with his piercing slate gray eyes narrowed into a calculating glare; now things were about to take an intense turn. His grip on his zanpakuto loosened, then gave out completely as he dropped his sword; something which would, no doubt, confuse the Arrancar deeply. With that simple action came a spike of his reiatsu so intense a sharp breeze was the result, blowing through the trees and his hair. What was going on?

"Bankai."

That simply, calm spoken word made everything become clear, the sword which he had dropped seemed to disappear as it phased into the ground, causing it to ripple outward as if he had dropped his weapon into a pool of water; the surrounding area darkened significantly and within a few seconds two rows of gigantic blades rose from the ground below, there must have been at least a thousand of the humongous blades. The site would surely intimidate any who bared witness to it, would the girl be any different?

Once the blades had finished rising time seemed to stand still, even if only for a brief instant, as if to let the woman sink in this terrifying image which seemed to promise nothing more than a painful death; but when would time finally begin moving again? The silence surely would become defining, the wind had finally died down and there was nothing but utter silence befalling the two.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

The phrase seemed to ignite the fire of time once more, for as soon as his lips stopped moving the blades shattered, leaving behind a torrent of pink colored petals in their wake; however these petals were far more harmful than they outwardly appeared to be, as they were actually tiny blades which were razor sharp and could tear flesh apart with such ease it would be sickening. The site was truly something extravagant, a breathtaking display of elegant beauty which any ally could appreciate, and any foe could bow before in absolute fear. Was she trembling? Was her breath catching in her throat as her heart raced against her chest, as if banging to get free and save itself from certain death? She would have to be rather brave to stand as a statue, in the face of such power.

The girl might not have had much time to think, as soon as the blades broke apart and became the what they currently were they came rushing straight for her; the pink wave of utter destruction rushed forward towards the Arrancar with no intent to show mercy to their target, she would have to be extremely quick and dodge as soon as she saw even one come at her(if seeing just one of the blades were possible) if she wished to escape harm; the blades were quick but perhaps she was quicker? It was almost as if they carried a sadistic intent to shred her to tiny pieces and enjoy the sounds of her screaming in anguish.

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Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] Tumblr_m2n43umh9w1qc7okjo1_500

Right now I'm STANDING TO DEFEND YOU, forever and whenever,
This back of mine shall, become your shield
♠ ・ ♠ ・♠

He's here.

How do you like it, the power of a Captain's Bankai!? You're lucky to see them, but... Too bad you have to fight them.

Chaotic Evening Stroll [Byakuya vs Rou-Now over-Now open] 20120807222636-1

Rou was about to go in for another attack, in the middle of making another lunge forward, when Byakuya suddenly just dropped his sword. In an instant she stopped short, blinking at him in confusion. Had he decided to finally see that it was a lost cause an give in to her? He hadn't seemed that like that much of a scaredy cat but stranger things had happened. Anyone would show some fear in the presence of such a strong hero so why should she be surprised. Cyclopes had bowed down to her begging for mercy, tears streaming from their huge singe eyes. Why should it be surprising that such a pretty man wouldn't do the same. Beneath her mask her smile was huge. Her face was beaming, glowing with pride. She was finally getting to prove herself. Or at least she thought she was.

Did she just hear what she though she did.? Her eyes suddenly widened, brows knitting together. It might have looked like she was scared as the large blades rose up from the ground but that was not the cause of the look on her face. Heroes never felt fear. Instead rather that expression was to be blamed on the sinking feeling within her chest. She had just lost what hope there was that she could have done this the easy way. It was true Rou was strong and wasn't going to lose like this. It was also true that a captain's bankai was really very strong too, especially from some one she could tell was so strong.

But then her face when from sadness to rage. Her unseen lips were turned down and a frown and her eyes were slightly narrowed. "I'll teach you why you should have just let go of the evil within you and never stood up against me in the first place" she growled just before those giant swords shattered into thousands of petals. She eyed the glowing pink petals, showing momentary confusion. His bankai was a bunch of flowers? Surely the scary look the shinigami was wearing wasn't just for show. There had to be something special about them to make him seem so confident that he was standing there with such a look of indifference. Was he expecting her to be frozen with fear under that cold look as the petal floated in the air? As if she was going to stand in the face of evil and give in to its wants. She wasn't a coward.

The petals clumped together suddenly. racing her way. Wanting to test out just what they could do, the arrancar raced forward to meet, them, slashing at the with her lance. There was no intentions to cut them, but instead just to test them, see just what they were. When she saw a scratched for upon the white surface of her lance she instantly knew. They were all tiny blades waiting to rip her apart small piece by small piece.

"Saezuri no tsubasa" thinking quickly she used all she thought could help her in her current position. From her back, four wings of yellow, chirping lightning formed, each of them around twenty feet. All four of them quickly enclosed the girl in what looked like a cocoon, acting as a shield. Even then there was only so much they could do. Rou felt a few scratches breaking through the bone armor on her arms and knew this wasn't going to hold out for long. Preparing herself for a moment first. the espada spread her wings in an instant, causing the petals to leave an opening, even if it was only for a moment. It was enough to allow her to push off of the ground, she went flying back, stabbing her lance into the ground in what would simply appear to be a method the stop. However this action held much more worth than which it seemed. Or at least it had started of that way. "Kakusaret-" she was cut short by the sudden appearance of movement from the corner of her eye.

Still gripping her lance tightly, Rou used it the throw herself up into the air, bringing her other forward. However it was too late. She was caught at the midsection, feeling on of the fangs of the snake head break through her armor and nearly pierce right through her. She let out a cry, gripping the mouth of the skeletal snake head and prying it apart with all the strength her lanky body surprisingly possessed. Freeing herself she threw herself back, though of course the petals of the first man's bankai was awaiting her. She twisted in the air, charging up her remaining lance with lightning and shooting a hole trough the shimmering pink blades. She managed to fit through, or for the most part. The spikes upon her legs vibrated first and right then Rou knew she was completely free. She felt the pink petal tear at her right leg, shredding though her socks and boots. she hissed quietly.

Thankfully she was close to the ground, falling just to the spot where she had launched from. Her lance was within reach in a moment and the moment she grabbed is she shot her lighting into it, causing and explosion to come up from the ground like a beam. Her wings had wrapped around her in time, shielding her from the effects such a blast would have on even her. She felt her leg be freed and then she knew she was fine. She released herself as the blast of lighting reached its end. If she was lucky it would have been quick enough to even meet this new person's weapon and destroy it. If she was lucky.

Rou ripped her lance up out of the ground, flipping around before she landed hard on her feet which caused the wound in her abdomen to send a pierce of pain through her nervous system. The espada choked back another cry, refusing to let it be head. She looked ahead finally spotting the newcomer. He was wearing the uniform of a captain. this was no good. But then he went and mocked her, copying her own words to the black haired man. She narrowed her eyes. This minion of the man truly had a mouth on him.

Now looking between the two men she scowled under the smiling form of her mask. This did create a problem. she had been hindered before by a previous battle and now she was left to fight not just one shinigami, but also a second. She tightened her grip on her lances in frustration but then suddenly she found herself hit with realization. "I see so this is how it's meant to be"'. This was following the true story of most heroes. Heroes hardly ever won the first fight. They were overpowered but then in a second meeting they would prove to have grown stronger and would rise above and crush the dark forces that had previously looked down upon them. This was too perfect. Or at least in time it would be. she needed to make sure that time would still exist for her. That meant getting out of there so she could present herself again in the future to put and end to these two. Without speaking a word, she shot herself into the air, ignoring the urge to cringe when pain shot through her abdomen again. rou was too caught up in her newly found good feeling to. She appeared in the air but a second later she was using sonido once again to get herself out of the area. Chasing after her would be futile. Even wounded her speed was her strength.

So until the next time she was gone. Though even without saying anything it seemed clear she wasn't done with the men she had left behind.

[EXIT]

OOC: Sorry I would have replied yesterday >.< but well all the fun events of yesterday got in the way of that x.x

ADV-0 Hankou: 10 Reiryoku: 14 Hakudo: 8 Seijuu: 16 Bukijuu: 16 Hoho: 16

His cold eyes watched the Arrancar as if he were a lion stalking it's prey, zeroing in on her every move as he watched her deal with the blades hurling straight at her; he had to give the girl some credit for being able to survive his first assault with his bankai, but if he had any say in the matter she would not survive the next. However before he could do anything more he saw a familiar attack literally swallow the girl in it's massive jaws; without even looking to the person behind the massive weapon he knew instantly who it was, both by reiatsu signature and the familiarity in the voice he heard speak so cockily to the enemy. For now he did not address his former subordinate's presence, instead he kept his eyes on the girl who quickly regained herself after the massive attack, it was only after she retreated that he turned to the man responsible for the assault.

As his sword regathered and returned to it's released state he took note of the haori Renji was wearing, it seems so many things had happened after he had been captured, had his disappearance been the thing to drive his former lieutenant to reach his full potential? None of this was of concern right now, if he was here he figured that something was going on in the Soul Society, given that captains are rarely sent to the Human World for anything more than reasons of the utmost importance. Now the question is what, what could be so important that there was a Captain traversing the lands of the living? Once his sword was fully sealed he turned to Renji with his usual stoic expression before he spoke.

"What business do you have the the Living World, Abarai?" Rather than address the other man's promotion, or the reason for butting into a battle that he could have handled on his own, he got straight to asking the question which would hopefully give him the information he cared most about, the situation which warranted Renji's appearance; he knew already that his fight between the escaped Arrancar was what drew him here, but there must have been other things in play, that much he was sure of.

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Right now I'm STANDING TO DEFEND YOU, forever and whenever,
This back of mine shall, become your shield
♠ ・ ♠ ・♠

Renji felt the struggle made against his weapon, little resistance made and felt all the way through the large weapon as the huge head successfully snarled at the target, piercing her armor and sinking the teeth deep in the frail body. A smirk raised over his face as he could feel the effort she had made in blocking the huge jaws, but to no real effort: much stronger opponents, such includes Togabito and Arrancars of much larger size all tried to stop the huge snake head from biting at them a second time, but were all driven on the defensive in the face of the huge snake's head, pushing them down and eventually managing to crunch and pierce through their skin. Renji had high confidence in his Bankai, and not for naught, as even in the Arrancar's attempts to free herself from the jaws' powerful grip there was still something about that swing that assured the Captain's victory in this face-off of physical power: that swing didn't even pack all the strength the Captain's Bankai packed, merely being a shot at granting further damage. He had her on the offensive, and even when the snake's head was pried Renji did not worry.

These two had been together for quite some time and being the man he was, Renji obviously studied the way in which his Captain would operate, unleashing Senbonzakura at times of need and taking care of things using his mastery over speed and Kidou when nothing serious was at case. For her to drive him to the point of using his sword's final release at her, that's some impressive fear, and by that the redhead was naturally impressed. However, the studies over the other also allowed Renji to sync his his Bankai's moves with the other's, promising damage from both using timing alone. He wasn't suited to cooperating with this form.

Soon, the Arrancar female turned on the offensive, aiming to shoot the Bankai with lightning and free herself from the grip of the other Shinigami's Zanpakuto's assault. In the smokescreen created from the blast of - in truth - Reiatsu, the head was withdrawn and together with the body formed the overall defensive stance it had granted Renji and his companion. The real surprise was not that it was still in one piece, but something that even caught the wielder off guard, the girl used as a vessel to test Renji's power in his Bankai. Hihiou Zabimaru's head showed to still be as it was, no breaks, no cracks, no scratches, not the slightest sign of damage besides electricity running in small bursts over the large snake head. The captain couldn't help but feel proud of himself over such a fear achieved with his own Zanpakuto, taking no visible damage from an Arrancar carrying the power that made the person he looked up to go all out. She proceeded to run away, and seeing how Byakuya didn't attack Renji got the idea it was her that started the fight.

The large skeletal snake body and the fur covering Renji both disappeared into magical nothingness shortly as it became the slightly longer Katana that was Zabimaru in its sealed form, the wielder calmly returning the blade to the scabbard. Once the steely sound was heard and he could not longer push the sword in, he knew the blade was completely sheathed now, and thus laid his hand off the handle, turning to his familiar with a satisfied, cocky expression, the same one he used to do so many times. It was due to to his words, that triggered the redheaded Captain to throw such a stupid comment, though it was for granted: the two had spent quite some time together, and had already broke the distance at least once.

"Oh? Come on Captain. I'm gone for 6 months and you already stop using my first name?"

Though, that was all he would spout for familiarity with his former Captain, as knowing the person making him wait would be a bad move, especially when there's no real intention on doing so. Renji's grin turned into a serious expression, slight sadness shown in his eyes. He was going to tell Byakuya exactly what had gone through these six months he was gone, though the fact he was requested to remain in the Human World proves he already knows most of it, and therefore there really was no much need to explain thoroughly the entire deal, yet it was essential for the reason another Captain would be found in this world rather the Seireitei. He started, looking the man he looks up to in the eye.

"To tell you the truth, Cap-... No, Byakuya-san... It must have been brought to your knowledge, the situation concerning Hell's Gates' opening. With that already setting the Seireitei in turmoil and the Togabito attacking freely without restraint, the Central 46 have made a considerable decision concerning the World of the Living."

All of that information, everyone already knew. At least, every single Shinigami and Togabito, to say the least, that including the two conversing. Renji sighed before continuing, leaning his hand over his Zanpakuto's handle, as that is how he felt more comfortable at the moment. The breeze came shortly, blowing through the baggy Shihakusho the Captain wore and through the long hair both individuals boasted.

"But obviously... That isn't the Soul Society's role. Us, the Seireitei, the Shinigami, we're in charge of all souls that exist. With the gates of hell opening, the likeliness of deaths is much higher and more reinforcements are needed to keep that from happening. But that's not all, as there always lies the problem of Hollows. With the Togabito most likely not being on our side at all, they take the neutral stand and might go as far as assaulting even those, which we are supposed to cleanse. Then there is also the Espada Arrancar, which have not made a significant move despite most likely capable of overwhelming Seireitei's fleet soldiers would they had tried. For this reason..."

He took a slight pause, averting his gaze from Byakuya, only to soon return with a slight smile. He had wondered if the Arrancar they had fought was of the Espada or not, and if the Reiatsu of the Shinigami Substitute he had longed to see could be felt even here. He was the only Shinigami originally a human, thus with no Gigai at hand his body radiated Reiatsu even without his notice, making him an easy target for sensors, that being most Hollows and the Shinigami that seek to meddle with him. He also tried to pick up the signal of the Arrancar that had just ran away, seeing how she had made her flee, suspecting she could sneak up on them for a surprise attack of the sort, or even worse - call for friends and reinforcements. When everything was finally confirmed, he put his hand - the one that rested over his sword - on his waist, leaning to the side a bit.

"... The Central 46 had decided to reinforce the Shinigami occupying the World of the Living with another Captain-level Shinigami. With Kurosaki Ichigo - the Shinigami Substitute and Kuchiki Byakuya - a former Captain both lingering in the World of the Living, safety is assured but even with that, another one was needed in the rare case of an utterly overwhelming threat. For that reason, I was chosen to stay in this world as well."

It was a small lie, though he could obviously not tell his familiar that it was in truth his pride lacking plea from the Central 46 to be at his friends' side, using the fact that he most likely wasn't aware of anything that happened in Seireitei thus far, especially not something like that, to his advantage. Renji wanted to tell Byakuya of everything he had gone through for these past 6 months, including everything major that should be noted: about Jushiro's unfortunate illness and thus the lieutenant's promotion that turned from a huge trouble to great expectation, about the Togabito twins' attack on him and thus his achieving of the Bankai level of the Zanpakuto, about his personal role in the World of the Living as he stays for the time being, everything. But neither of that could be accomplished, Byakuya was not really one to listen to such about someone else's personal life, not with Renji of course. Not always, at any rate. The redheaded man was about to ask of his companion for something, when suddenly...

"Hmm? A Hell Butterfly? Already?"

The appearance of a black butterfly came shortly, landing gently over the redheaded Captain's index finger and delivering in the psychic message brought with it to the captain. He listened thoroughly without much reactions besides' yes' and 'got it' here and there, and as quickly as it had appeared the bug hurried to disappear once the message was over.

ADV-0 Hankou: 10 Reiryoku: 14 Hakudo: 8 Seijuu: 16 Bukijuu: 16 Hoho: 16

Byakuya's expression was unwavering as he returned his sword to the sheath on his hip, stoic and unamused at being called by his first name; since when did he give the redhead the permission or okay to address him on a first name basis? Something pointless to discuss, yes, but to him it was a matter of respect, and it was clear in his expression that he didn't appreciate the assumption of their closeness. Indeed they had worked together for a long time, but their relationship had always been more professional, even if he would go so far as to place it on the border of friendship, he didn't like being addressed formally; especially given how long they had been apart.

As Renji began explaining things the unamusement only grew more obvious in his expression, especially since he had been explaining things that were obvious, when he got to the reason he was here he began thinking. It was obvious Renji hadn't have been a captain for long and he figured that perhaps they would send a more senior captain to do the job, but then he thought about how well Renji knew the Living World and the Substitute and then knew why he was the one sent. He had been about to say something, but the arrival of the Hell Butterfly stopped him before he even opened his mouth. He knew it was important without even having to hear what it had to say, simply from his experience as a captain.

"So, what has happened now?" Byakuya asked, there were a multitude of things that could have happened, but to send a Hell Butterfly out meant that it was of great urgency."I suggest you should go back to the Soul Society, for them to send a Hell Butterfly must mean it requires your immediate attention." Of course he could no longer order the other male around, but even so it was possible he still had a great deal of influence over him and could, persuade him, to take his suggestion.

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