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Post by Raika on May 20, 2018 2:05:59 GMT
[700 Years Before Modern Day; 800 Years After Shinobi]
War had ripped through humanity once again. The dying screamed out their pain on the battlefield, side-by-side with the dead. Carrion birds circled high above. There were still scattered conflicts across the blood-soaked field, but where the silver-haired woman walked, all was calm.
Pupil-less blue eyes scanned those on the ground, seeking out the tell-tale signs of life, and she knelt down by a survivor, applying just enough chakra and eiseijutsu to bring them back from the brink of death before swapping to more mundane means, binding their wounds with bandages. Then, on to the next one. And the next. Their comrades would find them with time, once the battle had truly settled, or they would wake up and find their comrades on their own. It didn't matter which side of the war they were on... she healed and treated each survivor indiscriminately.
And when one awoke to see her, she simply quirked an eyebrow at the word that escaped his lips before finishing binding his wounds... and moving on yet again.
...valkyrie... huh?
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Post by ryuuchi on May 20, 2018 10:46:14 GMT
A lone figure stood watch over the battlefield. One side seemed heavily focused on using shields, effectively making use of their shield wall formations. They arrived in long ships and were met with a large army in waiting. The other army wore heavy and cumbersome armor, many of which on horseback. He saw how one side’s heavy cavalry cut through the other’s lines, but was torn apart by pikes and pitfalls. He found it interesting to see how warfare had changed over the centuries; even if they were still lacking in terms of power.
“Hmm… are you sure this is it?” The gray haired man muttered seemingly to himself. After a moment, he rolled his eyes. “I said that I’d find him. Don’t worry.”
The Onigami took a deep breath as he placed a hand on his swords, yet did not draw them. There would be no need to draw them, not against this lot at least. However, first he would need to thin out the ranks a little, to make sure that his target would be found. Thus, he dashed across the sky and crashed into the ground with a massive impact, the shockwave sending dozens of people flying across the field. His hood flew back and those around him saw the gray haired man dressed in black and carrying foreign swords.
A single arrow flew toward him, be it from a frightened archer or just a stray one from the other parts of the battle. He caught it between his fingers and looked up. Everyone saw it then, as the purple energy released from him, the massive image of what everyone saw as Death itself appeared around him. Each person saw what death looked to them and their will to battle vanished.
The armies started scattering in fear, no longer caring if the man running beside them was friend or foe. Ichigo merely looked around, to find his target.
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Post by Raika on May 20, 2018 14:17:04 GMT
Raika glanced up from her current patient as the sounds of the battle changed, scenting the increasing fear beyond all of the blood and gore and death and finding the source... before quirking an eyebrow. Not chakra, but... spiritual energy. An Onigami? She remembered hearing of appearances of their survivors....
....
"...well, might as well go greet them."
The woman stood, her latest patient patched up enough, and headed in the direction of the disturbance at a casual stroll. She released no killer intent, no will to fight... after all, that wasn't what she was here for.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 20, 2018 20:53:42 GMT
His release of killing intent and energy served its purpose of thinning out the herd by scaring away the weaker and more feebleminded ones around him. He calmly watched as the warriors scattered and trampled over each other on their way across the battlefield, leading to a good number of deaths due to people being stomped to death. His focus was away from the heavily armored soldiers and more toward the longship riding raiders. They were bigger and stronger in general, but that wasn’t the main reason for his focus on them.
“Alright.” He muttered, as if answering someone. Ichigo raised his arms up in the air and his muscles tensed and flexed, readying himself for an attack, when he sensed someone strong approaching. Had she had no killing intent, but her energy was so far beyond any of the people around them that it wasn’t something he could ignore. Thus he stopped for a moment. “Give me a second. They won’t go far.” He said and turned toward Raika’s direction as she neared him.
“Leave, ninja.” He said, a hand resting on his swords. “As much as I’d love to fight your kind, the fact that you lot are underhanded enough to return with friends after a defeat leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
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Post by Raika on May 20, 2018 21:06:07 GMT
Raika paused at that, frowning slightly and raising an eyebrow, one hand coming to a rest on her hip almost absently. "...I'm unaware of what you're talking about, but I just came to greet you since I was in the area." Her gaze turned towards the battlefield with that, scanning around for survivors. The death count had increased a fair bit by the armies' panicked retreat, which was unfortunate, but... she could still rationalize it. It was a war. She had known since long ago, after all... that she couldn't save everyone.
...and after a moment, she looked back to the samurai, brown eyes still calm. "...Ichigo, right? I'm Raika."
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Post by ryuuchi on May 20, 2018 21:21:24 GMT
Out of all the Onigami, Ichigo probably had the least animosity toward ninja. Ever since he was cast out of the clan, he trained among and with ninja, so he hardly viewed them as much different than his own people. That was before the world went to hell and the few ninja that survived banded together with their accords and agreements. They became arrogant gods and the less he interacted with them, the better.
“Raika… I have heard the name before… but nothing beyond that.” He said, adjusting his collar. “If you are done with the greeting, then leave… or you will be caught in the crossfire.” He told her, showing the woman his back.
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Post by Raika on May 20, 2018 21:26:07 GMT
Raika pondered the Onigami for a moment before shrugging and turning herself, raising her hand in a lazy wave. "I'll still be in the area for a bit. Take care."
...and with that, the silver-haired shinobi resumed searching for survivors and bringing them back from the brink... though she was still occasionally glancing back in Ichigo's general direction with her doujutsu, quietly alert, just in case.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 0:38:15 GMT
Ichigo half expected this ninja woman to be up to something. She could either be the type that would stop him from doing much of anything, as he was seen as a threat, or the type to stab him in the back when he wasn’t looking. Either way, he would not have allowed her to interfere. However, that did not seem to be the case as she merely made her presence known and little else.
He didn’t know what tricks she might have up her sleeve, but Ichigo would deal with it if anything did happen. For now, he looked toward the side of the seafaring army. They were rushing toward the shore now, trampling their allies in a desperate attempt to get to their ships.
“You’re really an inpatient woman.” He muttered to himself. “All of them?” The question seemed to have received an answer almost immediately and Ichigo shook his head. “It can’t be helped.”
A hand reached out and he drew one of his katanas. Ichigo bent his arm at an angle and placed his other hand on the bicep as he focused. “Garouryu: Tatsumaki.” He muttered as he swung sword. Purple energy lashed out, twisting and turning and pushing the winds to do the same. A massive tornado formed before him, swallowing up a dozen or so man instantly and moving to capture more and rip their bodies to shreds. But the army was big, so he got into position again… to release a second one.
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 0:51:27 GMT
Raika stared blankly at the massive tornado, running a hand through her hair... before sighing.
In a matter of moments, she had approached the Onigami again, holding up a finger as she stood directly in his path. "'scuse me, can I get a why for the whole slaughtering a bunch of people running away from you bit?" She still wasn't releasing any killer intent or otherwise getting aggressive. For the moment.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 1:03:26 GMT
Ichigo stopped and stared blankly at the women that stood before him. He knew that she wouldn't stay out of this for too long, but her response was sooner than expected.
"Out of the way, ninja. This doesn't consent you." He said as his muscles flexed again. "Go play God elsewhere." He added as he swung his sword and released a second tornado of energy in her direction. It wouldn't be enough to do much damage to her, but the people behind her were another deal.
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 1:15:59 GMT
Raika's finger drooped as she stared at the tornado for a second, running through her entire skillset... and coming up with nothing.
Another fraction of a second had her glancing backwards at the retreating people.
She couldn't save them.
Again.
...why did she even try anymore?
Eyes flickered forward again... and with a few hops back and a curved dash, she was around the tornado, her jaw set grimly... as she rushed the samurai, silent frustration and flickering pain in her pupiless blue eyes.
She hadn't wanted to fight him. But... she couldn't just walk away now, either.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 9:56:18 GMT
The two tornados of purple energy tore through the ranks of the fleeing warriors, swallowing up men and women alike, as well as any ships in their path. Even these two large columns of swirling energy would not be enough to eliminate all of them, but a large part of that side of the battlefield would be gone after they were done. Ichigo had hoped for a quick and easy work, without much of a hassle.
The souls of those killed by his attack were drawn immediately toward his sword, as if being pulled by powerful wind. Until they suddenly stopped and vanished like all the others.
Ichigo was more focused on the dashing ninja now. “I told you to stay out of this, ninja.” He groaned as he lowered his sword, adopting the Suzakuryu stance that focused on speed and maneuverability. Suddenly, he dashed to meet her. “Suzakuryu: Tasukiboshi” Ichigo’s sword shot in a fast horizontal slash at Raika’s waist, but right before reaching her, the swing changed almost 90º upward, aiming instead to cut across her torso.
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 13:29:37 GMT
The faint screaming under the sounds of the tornado made the woman grit her teeth, but her gaze remained on the samurai's eyes, not his blade. "And I asked a question! One measly--" The blade cut through her--and she vanished. An afterimage.
Behind him, she reappeared, bursting chakra through her arms as she lashed out six times against various nerve clusters and pressure points on his back and spine, electricity crackling in her hands, aiming to slow the Onigami down if she didn't outright disable him... and blood seeped down her side from where his blade had cut, though the innermost end of the wound was already starting to glow with healing chakra....
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 13:55:07 GMT
It had been a while since the last time someone dodged one of his swings, especially Tasukiboshi, which was meant to trick enemies with a redirection of the swing. This made Ichigo’s heart excited for a moment, knowing that she could actually be a good fight if they were going at it seriously. Her lack of killing intent put a hamper of that excitement though.
Ichigo drove his sword into the ground blade first and then jumped back toward Raika. He did not turn and instead allowed her first two strikes to hit his back; however, with his backward rush, he became far too close for more strikes to land. His back pressed to her chest and he exhaled sharply. Ichigo quickly aimed a quick elbow to her right ribs, which would be followed by a second one with the same arm to the head and finally he’d try to grab her right wrist and throw her over his shoulder and into the ground.
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 14:32:28 GMT
Raika's eyes narrowed as she saw him coming towards her, and her right leg started sliding forward as she lowered her stance with the impact in one smooth movement, grunting as the first strike connected and the second went just above her head as her torso twisted left--
--and her right hand snapped out to grab and twist the fabric of Ichigo's hoodie to keep him from moving forward again as easily, torso twisting to pull the anchoring fabric towards her while propelling her left hand towards the left side of his lower back with an open palm, electricity sparking yet again with the attack....
She was upping the voltage.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 15:10:40 GMT
Fighting someone in hand-to-hand combat again was entertaining, even if this seemed to amount to little more than a spar. For a moment, Ichigo was beginning to lose himself in the thrill of testing his martial skills a little bit. However, before he could do that, he heard the usual voice and frowned. “Just give me a second…” He muttered and rolled his eyes.
Ichigo suddenly jumped up, flipping right above Raika in an upside-down position and avoiding her strike. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, before Ichigo kicked the air above him, releasing energy from his sole to change directions. He gripped the wrist of the hand that held his hood tightly and twisted his body. Her arm moved between his legs and he pressed her wrist to his chest as he caught Raika in an arm-bar. Gravity took over his body and he began to fall back, but keeping the hold while starting to apply enough pressure to break her elbow if necessary.
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 15:30:56 GMT
The grappled woman was more than strong enough to keep the Onigami in midair, and as she felt the pressure building on her elbow... she did three things in one movement.
Her hand reached out to try and grasp the Onigami's ankle, to keep him from just letting go.
She focused chakra to her legs and kicked off, rocketing into the sky.
And her elbow gave way with a crackling sound as she turned the joint into pure electricity, the flesh of the area faintly glowing from within.
There were the faintest beginnings of a fierce smile on her lips.... After all, it had been a long time since someone was truly willing to go into close combat like this with her.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 15:41:56 GMT
He could feel the tension in her arm and how it was close to reaching its limit; however, suddenly there was a faint glow inside her elbow and the tension was gone. Ichigo frowned again, the ninja had used one of the tricks to make the submission ineffective. For a moment, he had thought that they were going to have a fair grappling match, but it seemed to have been too good to be true.
She suddenly jumped and he looked down, already figuring that she was trying to slam him down hard. No matter, Ichigo continued. The hold on his ankle was unnecessary, for he was no going anywhere and instead shifted his body again, looking his free leg around her neck and catching her in a triangle hold along with the arm. Ichigo cross her arm under her face and placed his right hand on her head, applying pressure once more, but this time to put her to sleep rather than break bones.
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 16:31:11 GMT
Rather than trying to throw the Onigami down, a sphere of wind formed under the shinobi's foot, suspending them both in midair and keeping them from submitting to gravity's pull. Her elbow resolidified once the pressure was removed and her other hand released his ankle before slipping her forearm into the hold before it could fully close, giving her just enough room to breathe, though with difficulty.
Raika's eyes flicked back to Ichigo's. "So. You ever... going to answer... my question?"
With that, she was bending forward at the waist, launching a swift, crackling knee upwards towards the man, aiming for his back--and, if she could manage it, his spine--as she continued her efforts of trying to break down his body's supports.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 17:06:46 GMT
The moment Ichigo felt her arm get in the way before the triangle could lock into place, he knew that it was another failed submission, though thankfully, this was due to actual skill and not some tricks. He took a deep breath and focused, before tensing his muscles to take the blow from her knee strike. This position was awkward for such an attack and while she did connect, it was very hard to pack power into a hit like that. He let out a groan, but did not weaken his grip.
“Are you playing their God too?” He said to her, shifting his torso slightly to the side. Ichigo quickly aimed a fast hammerfist to Raika’s wounded side. His aim was simply to cause enough pain for a distraction. The moment he would see an opening, he’d release the triangle and flip down, but attempt to catch her leg at the same time in a leg-lock. He would try to wrap his legs around her right leg, catch the foot under his arm-tip and try to snap her ankle.
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 17:20:38 GMT
Raika's eyes narrowed at his words, only to widen abruptly as she snarled from the pain, baring fangs that had moments ago been human teeth. Within moments the glow of medical chakra around her side intensified, wavering briefly with the snapping of her ankle before going strong again... and she looked down at the Onigami, silent ferocity in her gaze.
"I'm no god. I'm just a woman who's sick of watching people die, and it pisses me off when some guy starts throwing fucking TORNADOES at fucking PEOPLE who can't do a DAMN FUCKING THING ABOUT IT!"
Her voice was reaching a roar as she reached out to grip Ichigo's own ankle, and if he let her... she would start applying pressure that would only continue to increase... to give him a crushed ankle to match her snapped one.
"Are YOU the one playing fucking god? ARE YOU? YOU NEVER FUCKING DEIGNED TO TELL ME!"
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Post by ryuuchi on May 21, 2018 20:14:51 GMT
Ankles and knees always were incredibly easy to mess around with once one knew where to apply the right amount of pressure. That said, the moment he felt the ankle snap, Ichigo knew that at least when it came to mobility, he had taken much away from her for a little bit. Then again, ninja were crafty and it wasn’t uncommon for them to have absurd healing abilities.
As she was about to grab him, Ichigo broke the grapple session and narrowly avoided being caught. He used his Tenmichi technique to seemingly stand on nothing and took a few steps back and away from Raika. The sudden change in mood coming from her was… peculiar.
“Calm yourself, woman.” He said, placing a hand on the hilt of his second sword. “Every man and woman down there was ready to die… or should have been. Many of them deserved it too… so you should stay out of this while I finish the job… or it won’t be just a broken ankle that you’ll end up with.”
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Post by Raika on May 21, 2018 20:34:03 GMT
Raika snarled again as the samurai escaped her grasp, frustration rising as she balanced on her good leg... and stared him down as he finally decided to use his words beyond 'go away'.
A slow, deep breath.
"...fine. And I have a name, you know."
The fangs were back to human teeth as she met Ichigo's gaze, absently lifting her broken ankle behind her and touching it with her hand, mending the wound as the one on her side finished healing. Without being in the middle of combat... that little would never keep her down for long.
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Post by ryuuchi on May 22, 2018 22:16:10 GMT
It seemed like the little spar was over between them. While it had been a welcomed bit of excitement, it was also too short to be satisfying. Many ninjas liked to focus on ninjutsu techniques and the likes, but she was highly skilled when it came to hand-to-hand combat and that made the spar interesting. However, he still had work to do and the voice kept nagging at him.
"... Raika, correct?" He didn't wait for an answer and instead allowed himself to fall back to earth. His landing was on top of his sword, a foot pressing against the back of the hilt as he slowly stood back up. He surveyed the area and found his targets. "Right... just a few more." He muttered.
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Post by Raika on May 22, 2018 22:32:00 GMT
Raika's ferocity lessened slightly as the samurai spoke her name... so he hadn't just disregarded it. Perhaps there were manners in him after all. Somewhere. To some extent... leaving without even letting her respond was still rather rude, but....
In her mind's eye, there were red eyes staring at her, and she scoffed. As if she hadn't dealt with rude men before.
Still, the woman watched the samurai from her perch in the skies, keeping an eye on him before she scanned for survivors again, watching as some brave souls had started trying to retrieve their fallen bretheren... before there was a small puff of smoke around the woman, and a falcon flew out in her place, winging its way above the battlefield, silently watching Ichigo from the skies.
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