Ants & Dragons[Cala, Kenichi]

Kenichi leaned forward, grabbing Cala's hands, observing them with quiet curiosity. A light squeeze followed as he examined her soft digits. Indeed, there was a significant degree of validity in her words regarding her physical capability. These were gentle hands, soft and delicate - they were the total opposite in her sense of the term. Of course, appearances could be deceiving. He couldn't discern her race, but he wasn't ready to give up on assisting her just yet. Gently removing his hands from her own, Kenichi stroked his chin thoughtfully, tapping his fingers against his face in a quiet rhythm. There had to be something. This woman needed to grow stronger to protect her loved ones, after all. It was up to Kenichi to be a good friend, and help support them!

"Honest words, I suppose. Well... these certainly are soft and delicate hands, but I'm sure we can find something that works, something you can build off of to help protect those you care about. Creativity and perception are good starts. So, let's see... I'm sure we can work from there. If you can't use your hands, maybe something like a sword would work. Swordsmanship doesn't require strong hands, but they do require a good grip, a good stance, and a composed mind. What do you think, Cala?"

Cala would blink as Kenichi took their hands, unable to really help a soft flush burning their cheeks at this, and while Kenichi could feel Cala had the hands of a pianist or a painter Cala could also feel how much work Kenichi did with his own. A very stark contrast, all things considered, and as Kenichi let go of Cala's hands they sheepishly crossed their arms over their chest. Face lightly burning from the interaction as Kenichi now seemed to be thinking of something, and as Cala waited they let out a tiny sneeze and sniffled. A light, tiny noise left Cala at the action and they would gingerly rub their small, up-turned nose afterwards, glancing at Kenichi as he suggested swordsmanship.

Cala would nod, knowing they at least had trained with Lukas about it before, and their other self used it all the time. At least well enough to beat up some Shinigami. As Kenichi asked their opinion Cala would nod quickly and draw Ceniza's katana form from their hip, smiling gently, and gently clasping the blade in front of them as they wiggled in place in more than a little apprehension.

"Aaaah.... we have done a little training with swords before. Not a l-lot really and I've never actually used MY sword. It was just... sparring class weapons."

Cala looked down bashfully, feeling rather embarrassed at never having actually fought before in front of an honest to goodness warrior like Kenichi. It made them feel.... childish.

Kenichi observed Ceniza with a measure of interest as he listened to Cala speak about her and her friend's inexperience with a blade. To be certain, Kenichi was no swordsman. He didn't particularly view it as something he preferred all that much compared to his fists. He learned the hard way that being weaponless, however, would only drag him down in the future. After Cala finished, Kenichi stepped towards his duffle bag, digging through it to pull out a long, amber-colored staff as he returned to his prior position across from Cala. Grinning from ear to ear, Kenichi spun the Gun Staff around with one hand as he pointed it toward Cala. Beckoning her forward. if she hadn't done much with a sword, now would be a perfect time, right? Of course.


"Well, well, well~ Today is your lucky day, Cala! We're going to see how well you do in a spar of weapons. Since you're something of a novice in your own words, I'll let you strike first."

Cala idly tidied up where they and Kenichi had been sitting as Kenichi got up, busying themselves more than anything else as they really didn't think Kenichi was going to spar with them after Cala admitted just how MUCH of a novice they were but... well.... when their peripheral vision caught sight of the staff's movement Cala blinked and tilted their head curiously. The staff looked.... odd.... even Cala could see that. Cala had never done combat with anything like a staff, not really, though the closest thing would be the tail of another Hollow but... even that seemed a bad comparison. Nonetheless Cala was nothing if not a thinker and as their lavender eyes twitched back and forth, studying Kenichi, it only took a second before they frowned a little out of apprehension. Certainly not mad at Kenichi or displeased, far from it, rather they were more than a little aware just how abysmal trying to fight someone wielding a staff was going to be with a sword.

The staff gave Kenichi many, many advantages, even in just a sparring scenario. Everything from reach to leverage in his strikes, the ability to ward and control a larger area and dictate angles of approach.... Cala's head began to spin just considering it. Shaking their head to clear their thoughts Cala would nod and assume a sparring stance, blade tip angled outward, gripped in one hand, with the other hand held behind it in a warding gesture. Prepared to support or help angle the blade via it's spine if the situation called for it. Instead of stepping in closer, however, Cala kept a close eye on the staff and kept themselves just out of it's reach for the time being. They drew in a steadying breathe and, internally wincing as they realized releasing their spiritual energy in the form of a Sonido or Bala would be a dead giveaway they, instead, relied purely on their rather underwhelming natural speed when it came to stepping within striking range of Kenichi and aiming a somewhat hesitant stab for the point most central to the staff, namely, between where Kenichi's hands gripped it.

Cala reasoned that this would prevent Kenichi from leveraging the wider, more punishing and more advantageous range of his choice of weapon. By keeping Kenichi's focus on the smaller, central rea of the staff and possibly having to adjust his hands in order to avoid having them injured, Cala hoped it could give them some degree of control in the contest. Never mind that Cala did not wish to harm Kenichi in the first place and so avoided directly stabbing at his hands, they still recognized what they thought were reasonable Pros and Cons for wielding a sword against a staff and, truthfully, it was mostly Cons from what Cala could tell.

Kenichi bided his time in preparation for Cala's first strike. There was several strategies she could employ, considering his lack of knowledge concerning the woman's origins. The spiritual pressure she radiated was undeniably human, and he assumedly theorized that she fell into the category of a highly-specialized human. If such was the case, then what were her overall abilities? Did the blade possess a unique ability? Did she possess a unique ability?

Such were the myriad wave of thoughts occupying his mind. Shifting his feet in preparation, the fiery martial artist allowed Cala to soar in with the first strike - a swift stab at the grip point of his staff. An attempt, he conjectured, to divert his initial approach with the Gun Staff. A sound strategy, perhaps, but Cala's lack of conviction presented a series of openings that left him vulnerable - exploits that Kenichi could aggressively take advantage of if he was so inclined. For now, he simply shifted his grip towards a higher point on the staff, softly swinging the weapon forward across his head, pressing the amber-colored pole at his forehead - an act meant to signify a pause in the action, so to speak.

"Not a bad attempt, Cala. To be honest, I recognized your strategy the moment the blade came soaring in, but your movement lacks conviction. It lacks presence. Any form of combat, ideologically speaking, requires conviction - requires you striking as if you desire to win, even in something as casual as a spar or a training discipline like this. I'm no sword wielder, but you must place your all behind the blade. My body is resilient, so much so that I can confidently compared it to steel. In other words, you don't need to worry about hurting me, okay? Come at this with everything you've got."

Kenichi was definitely right about one thing Cala certainly didn't REALLY want to hurt anyone, least of all a new friend offering to help them get stronger. They doubted they would be able to forgive themselves if they actually did do Kenichi any harm but.... he seemed confident in that not happening. A fact which Cala also accepted after thinking about it. Kenichi was a better fighter, stronger, faster even, so could Cala really even hurt him? Cala bit their lip, thinking, before pausing and sighing.

"I-I know... I don't think I C-CAN hurt you but... I also don't really know what I have to give."

That was, simply, the honest truth. This Cala had never fought before and as their pressure on Kenichi's staff weakened they grimaced and took a deep breathe. Re-affirming their grip on their sword Cala would nod and swallow thickly, doing their best to steel their conviction and they would nod again, more firmly, as they adjusted their footing.

"O-Okay.... I think I am ready to continue just.... p-please tell me where I mess up and if I do hurt you o-okay?"

Cala frowned and, in that moment, an incredible softness could be seen in their lavender eyes. A tender care that was almost anathema to violence and being a warrior. They had just met Kenichi but, just from their gaze in that moment alone, it was obvious they cared enough about him to not want to cause him harm. Cala was obviously soft-hearted to an extreme...... But in the next few moments Cala's eyes sharpened and their conviction mounted, their resolve steeled, and they twisted their blade fiercely. Now resting the flat of their blade against Kenichi's staff before swiping their blade along the staff's length toward his left hand with the edge.

Stepping in along with their cutting motion, using the leverage in their legs to help push the slice, Cala then twist their own grip on the sword, the feint toward Kenichi's hand meant to cover their duck that turned into a lunging stab directed, instead, for Kenichi's stomach. Thankfully for Cala their body remembered the motions of combat and they now wielded their blade with adept skill far from the slouch they had been a moment ago and they even let out a high-pitched and somewhat more cute than intimidating...

"Kyaaa!~"

Kenichi nodded softly in response to Cala's request, silently confirming that he would do as she requested. He honestly respected her desire to avoid harming him, but the relentless dragon enjoyed the pain that accompanied any form of combat he engaged in. It added a significant degree of entertainment to any form of conflict he participated in. It enlivened his soul. Ignited his spirit. If she did cause him some measure of pain, then that meant she was making progress. To him, at this moment, that was all that mattered. His wellbeing was secondary to achieving that objective.

Hazel eyes recognized the conviction mounting in those lavender orbs, eliciting a grin from the fiery martial art as he prepares himself, maintaining his firm grip around the staff. He could feel that steel racing swiping across the length of the Staff, prepared to reposition his grip, expecting a similar strategy. Of course, Cala would defy those expectations after applying that subsequent step in with the slice, shifting her body downwards to strike forward with a stab towards his stomach. Not even a backward shift of the foot would help him avoid the strike entirely, that blade cutting across the fabric to reveal his firm musculature. As he said, his skin had braved the storm, but Kenichi wanted to see how far she could go, adorable battle cries and all.

"Very impressive, Cala! That's what I like to see! Now, let's test that defense!"

Kenichi would shift his body forward with his own step in, swinging his amber-colored staff towards her side to test her reaction time and see how well she could respond to being attacked. Counterattacks were equally essential in a warrior's repertoire. As the old adage went, sometimes the best offense can often be the defense.

As Cala's blade bit into Kenichi's stomach enough to tear his shirt Cala yelped and winced mid-swing, withdrawing from Kenichi with an immense frown on their face. Though their own dismay was quickly muddled by the fact that Kenichi was alright and his own.... encouragement? That made Cala blink, their pulse quickening, and their mouth going a bit dry as they stared at Kenichi. They were... confused greatly, to the point their brain almost shut off, but they kept enough presence of mind to bring their blade up to block the staff. Wincing at Kenichi's strength as they braced their free forearm against the back of the blade, struggling to hold the staff back from their body, but the danger of the attack jogged Cala's mind to action!

Quickly using their bracing arm Cala would slam it down to their side and attempt to catch the staff between their arm and body, bracing and locking it under their arm while their sword arm brought their blade in a diagonal slash at Kenichi's wrists. Trying to simply disarm and get the staff out of his grip while also pulling away with their legs if they had successfully trapped the staff. If they had not then they would follow up the attempted wrist-slash with a stab directed at Kenichi's opposite foot, not letting the blade lose momentum and trying to keep Kenichi off-balance. He was a stronger, more skilled fighter after all so Cala's best choice was to leverage their quick thinking to try and compensate.

Regardless of the result Cala would huff softly, their hair coming a bit loose from it's hair-pin and they would notice their thin arms shaking a little, not from exhaustion, but from excitement. Not a good kind of excitement, necessarily, but more of a feeling that told them their body was ready to continue. Thus, steeling themselves, Cala would purse their lips fiercely and step forward in a short, fairly well-executed stance. They tried to match Kenichi's gusto, though it caused their voice to crack softly out of it's usual soft, melodic nature.

"I-I'm ready Kenichi!"

Cala would aim a series of slashes at Kenichi's torso, the first two bouncing from one side to the other of the staff, aiming to engage both sides of the weapon, before the third looked as if it would follow up the second in tapping the same side of the staff further out toward the very edge of the staff. Only for Cala to twist the blade and their wrists to weave the blade in a small hump around the staff's end to wave the blade perpendicular to the underside of the staff in a committed slash. Another shaky battle cry leaving the small Arrancar.

"Hyaaa!~"

For one who expressively seemed hesitant towards the idea of combat, Cala was reacting to his rudimentary techniques quite well. He hoped that this spar would draw something out in her spirits, encouraging her to take the next steps towards improving on her strength! Though they had only known each other for a small amount of time, he genuinely believed her desire was worth protecting, desired to help her foster the strength necessary to protect her loved ones. if her current set of actions were anything to go by, then she had done so ten thousand fold. She countered the staff strike towards her side, locking the amber-colored weapon between forearm and blade.

An impressive technique - it certainly robbed him of potential avenues to avoid a counter. Of course, Kenichi had prided himself on both martial technique and physical prowess, and so, in a show of such strength - he shifted his body backwards to forcibly pull the staff from her grip, using the accompany momentum to avoid the follow-up stab at his feet. Excitement pulsated in his veins, hazel eyes radiating a joy for battle, a joy for seeing the vigor in this woman's form. There was no hesitance. From his perspective, there was only determination as she loosed another battle cry.

"That's the spirit, Cala! If you wish to protect your loved ones, you must bring it all to bear!"

A multidirectional set of slashes followed, though they weren't aimed specifically at him. No, her intent seemed clear. She was going to disarm him of his weapon. A remarkable strategy. Disarming the enemy of their weapon was certainly a respectable way towards attaining victory. Kenichi matched the blade in each direction, though he found himself caught off guard by the weave technique that disturbed his grip. A clean cut towards the hand that held underside of the Gun Staff. This one drew blood, but Kenichi was far from deterred. He thrust his staff forward towards her chest, fiercely turning in with his hip to land a resounding counter.

Kenichi exerting his strength to pull the staff from her caused Cala to stagger somewhat but they did still follow through with their plan. Their body already moving into motion, their determination and Kenichi's encouragement driving them onward, as they let loose their small flurry of strikes. Quite panting leaving them as their thin chested heaved and strained in their shrine maiden outfit, their eyes squinted, focused..... up until the moment Cala cut Kenichi's hand and drew blood.

A shudder would arc through Cala's body, as if every muscle in their body experienced a simultaneous car crash of static and confusion. Their 'momentum' of determination grinding to a halt as their lavender eyes widened like a deer in the headlights. As Kenichi delivered that blow to their gut, honestly knocking the wind out of Cala and making them whimper a tiny, hurt noise, Cala had not even tried to dodge or brace for it. Their pupils shook, wildly, in their eyes. Narrowed down to pinpricks as they stared at the wound the delivered to Kenichi and a sharp, piercing ringing caused Cala to wince as they staggered backwards. Dropping their blade Cala would clutch their stomach, their lips would tremble, and they would squeeze their eyes shut as they began to feel.... warm? Like they were inside an oven that someone was slowly turning the heat higher and higher on.

Then, the true panic set in....

Cala's legs quaked, their eyes darted about and their hearing still rang with a noise with no source, no outlet, no way for them to disperse and their palms tingled to unseen stimuli as they flexed their hands wildly. Trying, in vain, to relieve the sensation or have some control, any control, over the responses their body gave them. To say that they still saw Kenichi was accurate, but they did not comprehend him, did not hear him, as every noise beyond that piercing ringing sounded as if it was coming through a wall of liquid mud. So it was that without shame, without control, Cala dropped to their knees....and hugged themselves. Their disguise failing as their energy signature turned to that of the Arrancar they were and their Fade began to writhe out from their clothing in coiling black spikes of ash and suffocation. Deeply ingrained, instinctual protection all their other side could muster from within their mind as neither of them could regain enough self control to change fully one way or the other. A loose, ashen cage of spikes and protection now arrayed around Cala as they shivered quietly despite feeling as if they were being baked alive.