Seaside Fight Night: Mizu vs Ulquiorra

Observing the fights was.... interesting. She did not particularly expect much in the way of sudden realizations or difference. Combat was combat, the perspective offered in her once-final moments was not something she had imagined would provide sudden clarity. That said, there was ....... something to be gained. The energy certainly was high amongst the crowd, a situation that in situations past, she would have avoided or simply ignored. They were noise. She might have called them trash in the past.

But staring down into the arena as fighter after fighter put effort into putting on a good show, was ... interesting. She had only ever seen the brutal and vicious struggle for survival. But this event was in stark contrast to what she was used to seeing in a fight. And the energy of the crowd certainly added to that novel-ness. Some flicker of sensation stirred, but remained subtle. And of course, when she herself was called, there was the subtle reminder that Nel and her family unit were also watching. Hm.

Stepping out onto the field, Ulquiorra did not cut the intimidating figure she once did. A pale white sweater and a thigh-length skirt certainly weren't the battle attire she'd worn ages ago. Her hands slipped into her pockets as she moved toward the center of the arena, certainly her new shape gave plenty for spectators to consider. She'd of course taken precautions. A sports bra and spats on beneath her getup. After all, this was a show. An exchange of talents and a gesture of cooperation with the Gotei.

It was, a political event. She had no imaginings that this relationship would hold eternal. But for now, the crowds were here to enjoy themselves, as were the combatants. She'd witnessed Mizu's previous match, and was aware of around where she should be restraining herself. This wasn't a mission to kill, it was an exhibition. She was no ape incapable of discerning the difference.

As the both of them stepped up and onto the pavillion, those full, piercing green eyes would regard Mizu thoughtfully. She was still working on not looking like a hawk the way she stared.

"Miss Morikawa." She greeted the other woman before gently lowering her head, one leg gently stepping across the other. A very small, almost unnoticeable curtsy offered to the shinigami before she rose back up to her full height.

"As a representative of the Vandenreich in this tournament. I hope you enjoy the fight." She noted, her voice calm as she let her hands fall to her sides, waiting for Mizu to make the first move.

The girl's fatigue was obvious. She supposed she'd have to account for her opponent's state as well as their strength. She could see the way the woman's energy fluctuated, those dull piercing eyes seeming to peel and take apart every inch of Mizu in order to surmise what was to come. And an equal amount of meticulous care was taken to managing her own spiritual pressure, even taking a moment to adjust the spirit energy in her body, intentionally dropping her own spiritual pressure and keeping it from being focused along her skin as much as it otherwise normally would. Of course, this was generally a subconscious process, something Arrancar didn't even need to think about. But she took the time to intentionally weaken her hierro. After all, the purpose of this fight was entertainment.

And so as Mizu suddenly charged toward Ulquiorra, she instantly noted the amount of spiritual energy Mizu was putting out. It was hardly a serious strike, the woman wasn't using her full force or honing her spiritual pressure to it's full extent, and she adjusted accordingly. As the blonde woman closed in and swung, that blade would receive no resistance from Ulquiorra right up until it made contact with her body. Biting into her shoulder and chest, cutting into her sweater, but promptly stopping at the skin, as Ulquiorra ensured that her hierro was JUST strong enough to stop her blade without any issue.

The woman's body did not move, and those eyes never peeled away from Mizu as she stared almost threateningly into the other woman's eyes. "I see. My name is Ulquiorra Ciffer. You do not seem experienced enough to perhaps have been around when I first encountered you shinigami. Once upon a time, I held a rank and was part of an organization called the Espada. But for you-..." Her hand snapped up to bat the woman's weapon to the side, using enough force to knock Mizu a bit off balance before she lunged in and closed her hand, aiming to plunge it into the woman's shoulder. She made sure to move at a speed that Mizu would be able to follow, if only barely, and adjusted her spiritual focus so that her hand would only pierce a few centimeters into the woman's shoulder. But it would still be meant to throw the woman off and instill a sense of urgency in the woman.


"And as for yourself. I would suggest you sharpen your focus. Any less, and I will end this match quickly."

A reasonable reaction. The sudden shock in the woman's face was to be expected, so much so that as Ulquiorra pierced her hand into the other woman's shoulder at a speed they should have been able to follow, it seemed sheer shock stunned them enough that the attack followed through without any resistance. And as the woman suddenly leapt back, Ulquiorra pursued her. Leaping forard and keeping up with her own speed, narrowing her eyes slightly. Seeing the woman reach up and start healing herself, she closed the distance immediately and canted her head to the side. "You seem to think you have time to heal yourself." She murmured, before her leg snapped out, aiming a kick into the shinigami's shoulder that would plow them into the ground. Hard enough to bounce her off the ground, but not outright bury the woman. A bit of showing off. The crowd already was in a frenzy watching the fight.

Certainly there was a clamor, many of them reacting to her appearance, and others making note of the fact that she seemed to not be that strong or powerful. No doubt wondering if she was holing back, or if she had become weaker over time. Good. The mystery would make things more exciting. She sensed the sudden uptick in spiritual energy and her eyes darted back to the woman as she started to charge that spell. Ulquiorra's own hand raised and a casual finger met the incoming attack. In an instant a sphere of bright green energy congealed at the tip of her fingers before firing. The cero slamming into the incoming twister of fire, pushing it back for just a moment before both blasts promptly detonated, a fiery concussive blast rocking the Arena. Good, she'd managed to match the attack well enough. An before the dust could even settle, Ulquiorra fired a Bala straight up and into the air, packing more energy into it than necessary as the wide slab of energy caused a sudden updraft, lifting that veil of dust and smoke into the air and clearing the space between both combatants.

"For what purpose have you chosen to join this event?" That calm, placid voice cut through the open air with an eerie, almost-disinterested tone. Though that certainly was not the case. Certainly Ulquiorra had made not of the varying resolves that seemed to show through the actions of the numerous combatants she had faced or otherwise observed. Some chose to fight for the sake of camaraderie. Others seemed to have grudges and vendettas they wished to settle in the spirit of competition. And even others seemed more interested in the tournament as simply an avenue to better themselves or study the other side. This was to be Ulquiorra's first match connected to this event, it only made sense that she was curious as to why Mizu was participating.

Just what stirred the heart of this Shinigami?

MORIKAWA MIZU

Pain rocked not just Mizu's shoulder, but her entire body after being slammed into the ground by her clearly superior opponent. If she knew the audience thought Ulquiorra had grown weaker she would be shocked considering how one-sided the battle thus far felt for her. Then again, they had the advantage of having a near-aerial view. And besides, for an ant what is the difference between a boot and a hammer? No! I'm better than this! Annoyance and anger rang through Mizu's head. She had hoped to give a good showing for the Gotei, but this Arrancar was not allowing it.

"I joined as an Officer of the Gotei United, and to represent it to the best of my ability..and then I met and fought Solomon, and lost." As she spoke Mizu dragged herself back to her feet and trained her gaze on Ulquiorra's own disinterested eyes, and then continued her answer to the woman's question "I can't lie, losing to Solomon did make me determined to make up for it...to show I'm capable of more than that, and that the Gotei is too." With a deep sigh, and as if she was surrendering, Mizu put her Zanpakuto away then let her hands hang loosely at her sides.

"But if I'm being entirely honest, Ulquiorra...right now...all I really want...is to defeat you!" In a flash Mizu extended her right arm and used her left hand to support it, knowing what was to come would require it, and yelled out "Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!" From her right palm an enormous, or at least enormous for Mizu, amount of power suddenly surged and released in the form of a large, vibrantly blue ray of electrical and spiritual energy. In no time at all it would have crossed the distance between the two, tearing a path through the concrete pavilion as it went, and on impact would expand into a sizable explosion even the audience might feel aftershocks of.

TAKING IT SERIOUS | END POST

Ulquiorra watched as the young shinigami gave her declaration of intent wile drawing herself back up to her feet. The struggle certainly was enough to catch her interest. She had at least gauged them enough that they weren't down for the count, but perhaps the girl's determination would mean she could push just a bit harder. But more than that, the will shown by the woman was more to Ulquiorra's interests. Te sudden fire with which she spoke of wanting to show her capabilities, and more than that the sentiment of wishing to defeat Ulquiorra.

It was all trash. Sentiment. Feelings. Desires that she chose to hold over the head of what this event was about. But, the heart was irrational like that.

Something she noted to herself as Mizu's spell suddenly flared to life. Hm. That was strong. As the blast suddenly roared in her direction, those beleful eyes studied the energy down to it's very last detail. Raising a hand from her pocket and holding out her bare hand as the attack crashed into her. Her own spiritual energy FLARING out, stopping the kido from pushing her back and keeping it from detonating. Her eyes narrowed as the energy roared around her. Nothing she wouldn't have been able to handle before. Moments afted the connection, that Kido finally detonated, rocking the stadiums with that sudden violent blast, burning up the floor of the arena, leaving the ground a hot, glowing orange mess. All save for a thin band behind Ulquiorra. And as the dust spilled away, her hand remained raised. Scuffed and slightly burnt, her sleeve having been burned away.

But otherwise, she was mostly fine. But the damage was very much visible on her one hand, and Ulquiorra slowly flexed those burnt fingers before turning her attention back toward Mizu.

"Is would seem that is all." She observed, glancing back up to Mizu and stepping out into the smoldering floor that lay between them. Calmly beginning to advance toward the shinigami as those dead eyes locked onto her.

"So you are simply here for your own self interests. I suppose I should not be surprised that a shinigami would take a platform meant to uphold a spirit of cooperation and self improvement. And reduce it to ..... a stage for them to show off." She raised that burnt hand and pointed directly at Mizu, her own Reiryoku flaring at the tip of her finger for a fraction of a second before exploding in a bright green Cero aimed straight for Mizu. A massive wide arcing blast that would suddenly swamp the space before her. Not the sort of concentrated beams she used for killing something, but a wider more diffuse thing that simply cut off any notion of trying to escape. A cero she imagined Mizu would be able to block if she put enough energy into her defenses. But it was mostly something to occupy the girl's mind. as Ulquiorra would crackle with speed, quickly moving in behind Mizu, aiming to catch her in the midst of blocking the attack and executing a swift kick aimed for the shinigami's ribs.

It wasn't anything devastating, but it was done with considerable speed, aimed to send Mizu crashing across the scorched surface of the pavilion. Upping the pressure that she was putting on this Shinigami. The display was certainly grandiose, but the crowd had seen plenty of that. She intended on cornering her and forcing Mizu to use every tool in their disposal.

MORIKAWA MIZU

Mizu was unperturbed by Ulquiorra's words, taking them more as a taunt than a serious analysis. A person's convictions can't be boiled down to as little as the Arrancar was trying to do, to Mizu. She remained confident in her intentions and was willing to do whatever it takes to see them through. "Think what you want, Arrancar! A Shinigami's duties are to the Gotei United and Soul Society, and today that means defeating you no matter what. I'll show you and everyone here what Shinigami means!"

Sensing the power behind Ulquiorra's Cero, she knew it was a mighty attack regardless of an absence of killing intent. Before it could reach her Mizu held her left hand aloft and shouted "Bakudō #81: Dankū!" This spell created a translucent wall many times her own size between herself and Ulquiorra's energy blast, defending against it without shattering. At the same time she sensed the sudden disappearance of her Arrancar foe and, quicker than she could react, felt pain in her chest as the woman's leg connected with her ribs.

Having now been in dozens of real-world battles, many of which involved her being pushed to and past the brink, Mizu was developing patterns she had recently begun noticing. One of these patterns caused her to, with every bit of speed she could muster, latch onto Ulquiorra's leg and hold on tight despite the pulsing pain in her chest almost assuredly from a bruised rib. That same pattern than caused her to speak words before her mind had even formed a plan "Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" Instead of firing a lightning bolt, her instinctively-cast spell would explode in a wide blast of electrified spiritual energy, enveloping both of them in it's ire as it did.

TAKING IT SERIOUS | END POST

Hm. Stubborn. It seemed psychological ploys wouldn't be a suitable weapon against this one. At least not at a level acceptable in such a tournament. That was no matter to her, but it was simply observed as Mizu produced the powerful barrier that Ulquiorra surmised she'd be capable of. And as expected, the girl was sent flying by the sharp kick delivered into the woman's side. However... it seemed the woman was adapting. Suddenly, Ulquiorra found herself being held in place, and her eyes caught sight of Mizu's hand suddenly raising. Ah. A spell. She noticed the sudden explosive surge of energy and promptly slammed her palm into the gathering energy.

A move that a very unpleasant feline had once used on her. She wrapped her fingers around the sweltering spell and promptly closed her fist. Causing the spell to promptly detonate, only with her palm taking the brunt of the blast, crushing the swelling energy and causing a sudden hot explosion of energy to wash over the both of them, rather than simply mostly being fired into Ulquiorra as Mizu might have liked. All the same, the stage would shake with the sudden horrible force of the explosion, and when the dust finally cleared, a gash had been burned along the Arrancar's chest. Hmmm, perhaps she'd weakened her hierro a bit too much. Burns riddled up the left side of her body, and though her clothing had been burned away, dark mottled flesh lay beneath it, a pale expance patched with dark burns. Some of which bled to the floor as the arrancar stared. Almost as if she didn't even feel any pain. Those eyes never leaving the shinigami.

"I see. It would seem, I underestimated your capabilities." She murmured, and then, a ripple of pale flesh simply.....flashed across Ulquiorra's body. In the blink of an eye, those burns. The cuts. The damage that Mizu had put blood, sweat, and tears into inflicting on the arrancar. Vanished in a sudden rippling flash as if they had never existed in the first place. Ulquiorra's regeneration kicking in and immediately eliminating the injuries that the woman had managed to inflict thus far.

"The level of energy and effort required to defeat you would seem to exceed what I expected to expend at this stage in the tournament." She noted, her other hand promptly resting on the handle of her Zanpaku'to. And for just a brief instant, Mizu would suddenly feel Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure slam down on her, as the Arrancar prepared herself to kick herself up another geat. That is... until a few gasps were heard from the crowd. And Ulquiorra paused to glance down at herself.

Ah yes. Now that her body had healed. Rather than burned flesh. She was exposed. Something which she didn't care about in the slightest. However. This was a public event. And so, she removed her hand from her weapon, and promptly drew it across her chest. "I can no longer fight without indecently exposing myself." She murmured. Speaking more to herself than Mizu before those deep green eyes shifted back to the shinigami. Considering.

"I concede. Consider this your win, Shinigami." She stated simply enough. Turning her back on Mizu, and beginning to walk back to where she had entered the Arena.