Sink or Swim. (Inner Hollow fight.)

AKIRA TAIRITSU-Light Blue |. Zathrusta (Hollow) - Indigo | Rivu-aisan (Zan Spirit) Darker blue.

Wet.

Why did it feel wet-

Akira’s inner thoughts suddenly shattered as his throat constricted, spewing forth a vast amount of water as his limp body gilded loosely across an expansive ocean, small currents clashing gently though only speeding up as within the center of this was perhaps a familiar landmark to the Shinigami. The increase in speed was due to a whirlpool that dragged all around into a vast depth of which remained unexplored, feet soaked from salt water as they’d focus themselves into some basic reishi plates to stand atop it.

Why was he here?

His lips parted tiredly to speak out with a commanding tone.

"Rivu-aisan! Why did you bring me here?”

Yet his eyelids squinted to see the seven foot humanoid merely resting with each barnacle plated leg across one another, resting himself on top of a trident. Those harsh, deep, turquoise hues burrowing back into its master, though confusion would be swiftly replaced by a groan of intensity, emanating from twenty feet to the right as a burst of water erupted like a geyser, coming with it a horror from the deep. Zathrusta.

Rivu-aisan:

Zathrusta:

The Shinigami shifted his stance, bringing left hand out instinctively as a sudden surge of light blue lightning burst out, crackling and striking true into the centre mass of Zathrusta, a piercing echo from the Byakurai elicited a pained snarl only for each of those tentacles that constantly wired together, shot out, four moving for the lower abdomen, five for the chest as another six with their spined tips for the lungs, only for a swift emerald rectangle of Escudo to intercept. It wasn’t quick enough, more so his focus was trying to acknowledge why he was here, suddenly finding a burst of blunt force striking into the gut from below the waves, as a collection of them forged a mace of some form, causing a wheeze gasp and body to ragdoll across the surface, akin to a stone thrown by a child for a game.


"Argh…W-Why…What is-”

"So perceptive yet so dull, an ironic little wretch aren’t you? It is my time, Akira. You so desperately needed my strength, after all these years without considering the access I would have to your brain. So many memories. So many…Delights…”

Akira always understood the dangers of the Sight with Zathrusta, though considering his caution as of late, part of him was arrogant to believe it never to be necessary.

"You act as if I’m- S-...”

There was a weakness of the body, legs trembling due to strain as he’d move to stand with a look of rage, yet coming to realize that his right hand didn’t hold Rivu-aisan despite their connection, a bewildered look answered by the echo of a stoic voice that caused calm waves to tremble, the outskirts of this realm displaying vast tsunamis that wrestled for control.

"To beseech me after so long, yet hesitate to draw me. The Ocean does not act on the whim of man, Akira Tairitsu, nor shall I. You will as all life does, fight against the waves of your own stagnation.”

Akira let out a growl of frustration but his focus had to be on the 6’11ft creature of which mimicked sea monstrosities like the Kraken, a writhing mass of white chitin, sturdy, dangerous, a litany of eyes across a blank mask, all replicating cracks that held a most chilling stare of never blinking. The mass below it held eyes too, though each one moving erratically as it took in sensory information, staring directly though at the prey as Akira came to realize, this was a fight not only to determine his life now but going forward.

Of which a tense stare down followed, a silence draping across both fighters, only having the gentle lapping of waves to fill their respective auditories.

Water at both locations burst at their respective speeds!

Akira shifted first, darting to the left as the left hand shot out a basic Sho, each one fired causing a small explosion of force as Zathrusta slithered across the surface, only to dive below the surface, each clawed hand moving to reach out those vast amount of spines appendages burst, each one aiming to pierce and entangle, forcing the Shinigami into the air whom responded with a swift Hainawa, rope of yellow energy lassoing a handful.

Though.

One shot past, grasping the ankle and brought Akira down drastically against the surface, causing a wheezy exhale as it felt like concrete, releasing him shortly after as Zathrusta took a moment to wrangle most of his appendages free, breaking out and swiftly swimming through the depths to lunge outward. Akira was barely on his feet, eyes widening as heart pumped adrenaline through the body as the left hand raised to create another barrier of basic capacity, yet those claws tore, cleaving flesh as a shriek of anguish came out of the man, causing thick vermillion to drip below, forcing himself back as the five marks were incredibly visible.

"Nargh! F-Fuck…”

"You’ve met so many new delectables Akira, which shall I visit first? Maybe…Calypso? I do wonder with eagerness how such a creature tastes, or maybe that pure princess of a Shinigami. Those of such light make the most intoxicating noises during those brief moments before passing out, flesh dangling off as each of my tendrils peeeeeel.”

Zathrusta hissed with a cackle, body writhing in ecstasy at the mere thought of such a thing as the entity noticed Akira resolve himself, narrowing golden hues as for a brief moment the Hollow felt an intense desire to elicit such pain on him. It was exciting. Akira raised his left hand, causing an emerald shield of some form manifest, Gaki Rekko. This burst of reiatsu enforcing this caged like swarm of emerald energy careened through the air, Zathrusta letting out a snarl as he was forced to dive once again, though eyes widening a little to find Akira waiting.

The water around felt that surge of electricity as another Byakurai was shot, shrieking through and amplifying as the Hollow spasmed uncontrollably, though fighting through it and moving to impact Akira’s features with his palm, claws digging into the cranium as wet, white hair began to stain pink from the cuts, a shriek of pain following further as the creature struck three times with the tendrils, each one throwing Akira like a ragdoll across the surface, one of them puncturing the stomach he raspily exhaled.

"T-Th-This is my l-life…”

Yet careening through all this, Rivu-aisan responded with a simple.

"Is it?”

Reflections from below, beginning to display the anxious man who trudged along after escaping the Gotei, barely interacting, refusing personal connection and crumpling once a single new connection falls through. This…This was why Rivu-aisan was so disgusted. Akira had acted so haphazardly yet expected things to go his way. This flood of realization causing a pained exhale, shaking his head as the silence began to become deafening, feeling this self depreciation.

"T-The Oc-Ocean of my f-failure…I c-can’t be sorry…”

Akira felt a swell of acknowledgement as his hand burst down into the depth below, pulling out the extended blade of Rivu-aisan as he stood defiantly with gritted teeth.

"I must be better!”

It wasn’t perfect but it was atleast the start of something, a step in a direction Rivu-aisan wanted him to go for the longest time, moving the blade in a graceful swing as three large orbs of water would rise from below, cracking his neck as one infused with Kaido began to restich wound and cease blood loss.

"You think some self enlightenment will stop you from succumbing to the truth we both know Akira?! Look around you! Your own soul is that of an Ocean, such a primal creature…Tsk…Enough. I’ll seize your body right now!”

Akira didn’t acknowledge Zathrusta as of this brief moment, focusing first on this creatures predictable ambush tactics as he’d shift to go beneath the waves, watching Zathrustas movements, though waiting before releasing Rivu, tapping the bottom and letting it lazily rotate in a circle before halting it, suddenly picking up speed and encircling the creature, infusing the surrounding water into a whirlpool above the surface, as the creature let out harsh guttural snarls. It was then that his reiatsu was put into the left hand, unleashing a powerful Kido: Hyogo Sairen. The wave of frosty temperature burst out, encompassing it, causing it to be stuck mid-air in a small iceberg of its own creature, only for each of those eyes to follow the Shinigami whom Shunpo above.

"You’re a guppy who suckles at the teeth of a Leviathan-”

A sphere of water moving to wrap around the blades length, infused with Hadō: 88. Then it compressed violently as the final words uttered from Akira, a brutal cutting power from such pressure following to pierce and puncture the ice, impacting the entity inside and pushing it violently into the depth.

"Heel.”

Upon which this technique allowed the infused Hadō to explode at the tip, focusing such destructive force into a focal point and unleashing, causing a spray of salt water upward, as Akira’s eyes fell upon his blade. There was little to say between one another, only that Rivu would be watching his master, and he would watch himself.