Future in The Present

Rozeluxe Meitzen was training himself in a meadow in the World of the Living, in order to strengthen his techniques as well as his mind. "Heh. I can't wait to show off what I am capable of. Now....I just have to make sure I keep my head on straight and don't let any distractions cloud my judgement."

Not to far away a large hole opened in the air, and A figure dressed in white stepped into the World of the Living, cautiously looking across the horizon. "Hm...there doesn't seem to be much here for us." he said in a disinterested tone. He turned around to step through the hole he had opened when he saw a figure in the distance.

Sensing a energy pressure in the distance, Raze hesitated before going back to his training. "There are strong fighters all around me. I can't go getting distracted from every little instance I feel. Otherwise, I would drive myself crazy."

"He could sense my power..." The figure closed the portal he had stepped through and slowly started walking towards the man in the distance, slowly releasing his spiritual power as he got closer. "This could be interesting after all..."

Stopping his swing halfway, Raze noticed the being approaching him from behind. "Heh. So that's what this is going to be huh? Fine with me, but let's see how this plays out first."

As the white clothed man came within earshot of the man he had seen he stopped and released even more energy. "I noticed you were able to sense my presence. Few are able to do even that. So I must congragulate you on your spiritual strength."

"Heh. Is there a reason you are flaunting your energy like that in the first place?" Raze sighed as he continued to look ahead as he spoke to the man. "I'm sure I wasn't the only one who sensed your energy so you can save your congratualions as well."

"I hightly doubt that. I have killed many with my power, and even as they took their final breath, they were unable to sense me in the slightest. The simple fact you can is a testiment to your sheer power. So that sir, is why I salute you." The man bowed.

"Then it is you who cannot sense power. Mine isn't as high as one might think, I do believe you have become conceited with your own strength. Oh well. Its not really my problem. Now, if you will excuse me I have training I must attend to."

"Is that so? Do you really believe me to be conceited?" The man bit his finger hard enough it started to bleed and let the blood run into his mouth and swallowed. "Maybe this will prove that I am correct in believe myself strong. Crour Imbibo." The man opened his mouth and fired a crimson beam across the horizon, causing a large scale explosion.

Shaking his head, Raze smirked. "Was that supposed to disprove what I said? You just went and flaunted your power once again, without me asking you to do so. Are you just looking for a reason to show off or something?"

"Who knows. I am the Knight who is meant to represent Greed. It is entirely possible I have a subconsious desire to prove that the power I have gained is superior to the power others have gained."

"Who knows? Well for starters YOU should know. Are you sick or something? Did you bonk your head? If you need medical attention I could direct you in the right direction. Cause I know many warriors who could make a meal out of you. Though I will admit you are pretty strong. Heh."

"Now, you have insulted my honor. A rule of thumb that was rather common in medieval times was to never insult a Knight's honor. Those times may have passed, however that rule still exists." The man held his arm up and bent it behind his head. "I shall tell you my name, as it is a courtesy. I am Hibiki, the 3rd Knight of the Holy Knights." As he said this he drew his arm forwards, a long bladed black Nodachi appear in his hand out of thin air.

Raze smiled sheepishly as he drew his blade and pointed it toward the man in front of him. "Honor? I insulted yours? Is it really so fragile that me speaking my mind can easily fracture the armor melding it together? Hahahaha. That in itself is somethin else, man. You actually think think that I care about that? Heh. Well at least you did get something right, it would be a courtesy to tell the man that is about to defeated the name of his opponent. Take it to heart cause I'll only say this once, the name's Rozeluxe Meitzen and I'm the guy who's gonna show you a little thing or two. Heh."

"I should have known. Those who have not suffered the torment of Hell cannot truely understand. Lets end this quickly shall we? Nex." Hibiki's form wavered slightly and a "second" Hibiki appeared in front of Raze, thrusting his blade at the man's heart whilte the "first" Hibiki dissappated into nothingness.

Moving his blade in front of him, Raze deflected the thrusted blade toward the sky causing his face to receive a scratch on the left side of it. "Heh. You grazed me, you can't be all bad." He then reached on his wrist and pulled off a small bead that he then dropped into the ground causing it to ripple apart. "Come to me my friend." He whispered before a figure dressed as a monk slowly rose from the ground. "I don't know the torment of Hell? I'm afraid you don't know me too well." With that, Raze pivoted on his right leg, spinning around to slice the second Hibiki's side.

Hibiki took the blow without flinching and looked at the summoned figure. "Well if thats the case. Socius." After uttering the word several hawks made of red spiritual energy manifested around him. "That should even it somewhat. Attack my pets." The hawks swarmed around the monk like figure while Hibiki pointed his blade at Raze, the tip not even an inch from his skin. "Your reflexes are obviously to honed for me to use Nex. So how about this? Scindo." Hibiki swung his sword, releasing a red wave of energy, which at this range would hit them both.

Without so much as a word, Raze and the demon monk blurred away as Raze donned yet another smirk. "Where are you looking Hibiki?" The sly shinigami was now behind the man with his sword now replaced with a chained sickle-like weapon. "You were trapped in Kagami's power as soon as you layed eyes on him. Heh. I don't like utilizing my friends so soon in a fight but I suppose you could just think of it as a slight gift for amusing me."

"Very well then. Lets end this charade of yours." Hibiki turned around and hilt his blade perpendicular the ground. "Sanus". A barely audioble sound emitted from the blade, and the illusion created by Kagami instantly shattered. "Now then, with that out of the way..." A second Hibiki appeared behind Raze and stabbed at him. "Nex."

Tossing the chain behind him he jumped on top of the monk's shoulders in order to get to a higher elevation. "The same trick isn't really too smart to use on someone like me." Pulling on the chain back to bring back to his side, Raze caused the sickle end to gain a chainsaw like motion before throwing it towards the first Hibiki's location and motioned for Kagami to charge toward the second Hibiki.

"It was worth attempting my Ace again wasn't it? And I do believe you have yet to realize how my movements work." The "Hibiki" Raze attacked dissipated as his sickle flew at it, while the one Kagami had attacked deftly dodged before swinging around behind him and holding his blade up. Scindo." Hibiki swung down, releasing a red arc of energy at point blank.

"Heh. Truly I suppose it was." Raze smirked as Kagami was struck with the point blank blast and reverted back into a capsule form. "Though...." Rapidly turning in mid-air, he threw his sickle toward Hibiki's true position as he caught Kagami's capsule and placed it back on his arm.

Hibiki let the blade nick his cheek, and felt the wound. "Interesting. How exactly does it prevent the wound from healing?" He licked the blood off his fingers and smirked. "Though, with a continiously open wound, I will be able to use my other Ace as often as I please. Cruor Imbibo." Hibiki fired another crimson beam from his mouth at Raze.

"But with that wound opened....heh." Raze pulled the chained blade back to his front before he was pushed back and burned on the right side of his body before deflecting it off into the sky. Standiing with a msirk on his face, Raze dropped another capsule into the ground before a large water dragon emerged form the Earth and circled around in the sky before Raze jumped aboard and charged straight for Hibiki. "Let's see if you can handle my pal here."

"Sanus." Hibiki pointed the tip of his blade at the ground again, with the same ringing sound from before. As the noise range out whatever spiritual powers the dragon had dissipated as it neared him. "Nex". Hibiki stabbed forwards as Raze came rushing at him.

"Surge forth my pet." Raze spoke as he made note. "That ability of yours negates spiritual energy huh? Too bad my buddy here doesn't use any. Heh." The water dragon surged foward toward Hibiki's blade with Raze on its back.

Hibiki's form wavered again as the dragon passed through. He rematerialized behind the two and fired off another crimson beam from his mouth.

Jumping from atop his dragon, Raze let it be struck as a smirk came across his face due to the dragon disperssing into a large pool of water that shot forth toward Hibiki's cut inserting itself steadily but slowly. "Heh. Let the infection begin."

"I'd rather not." Hibiki slashed at the dragon, cutting it off at the neck, the water forming everything but the head evaporating. As the head entered he winced slightly. "So that is the nature of this attack is it? Good thing I thought to have Hana give me this..." Hibiki took a small pill out and ate it. "Her reitsu is remarkable. It somehow possesses the ability to cleanse one of all foreign invasion, though it takes some time to kick in." Cracking his neck Hibiki allowed his own reitsu to surge, surpressing the invader within him.

"Hm? You just so happen to have that? Heh. Whatever. If this is the time of battle it will become, then there is no need for me to hold back." Dropping two small capsules into the ground, Rozeluxe tossed his weapon into a nearby tree as he drew his zanpakuto while waiting on his partners to manifest.

"I'd be a fool not to carry a healing item at all times." Hibiki held his blade parallel to the ground aimed at Raze. "Sadly this blade lost its ability to grow stronger long ago, however its time in the pits of Hell have allowed it to channel my powers to their fullest. Be glad that I am your oppenent, instead of Nostrum Rector (Our Leader) or Nostrum Rex (Our King), as they lack the restraint to use their blades without losing themselves in their power." A mist poured out of Hibiki's cut. "Ah, that would be the pill taking effect."

Holding onto his still burned right arm, Raze smiled. "I guess I'm a fool then. Heh. In any case, what you're spouting just sounds like nonsense to me. Oh well....I suppose it can't be helped." Moving his zanpakuto in a wavy motion in front of him he took in a deep breath before speaking again. "Envenom, Kurage!" As fast as he spoke the command his zanpakuto revealed itself to now be in the form of a rapier. "Let's get this party started." Motioning his hand towards some dense brush, one of the manifesting demons slipped out from the battle and hid itself as the other appeared next to Raze's side. "Let's go Chissoku." With that, he sped toward Hibiki before suddenly dissappearing and re-appearing above Hibiki with his blade ready to strike Hibiki's shoulder.

Hibiki whistled, and the red hawks he had summoned earlier swarmed Chissoku, while one of them followed the demon that slipped away. "My guess is that your zanpakuto is poison based?" Hibiki smirked and blocked the blade with his hand, a small trickle of blood running down his arm. "If so, then you'll never be able to harm me with it."

"Poison? Heh. Your mind is far too simple." Raze smiled as the man tried to take him lightly and he pressed down using his strength and began to cut through Hibiki's hand before Kurage began to vibrate ans emit a unheard sound that conjured several snakes that began wrapping around Hibiki's armand body. "The fangs of these little guys are even able to pierce through darksteel. I'm sure you'll find their bite to be something else. Heh." Raze smiled as he glanced over at Chissoku who had strangled the hawks around her with ease and began making her way toward Hibiki.

"Die for me my pets." The Hawks self destructed around Chissoku with incredible force. "Let me take some of this." Hibiki reached out and took some of the blood off Raze's burnt arm and drank it. "Cruor Imbibo" Hibiki fired another crimson beam, however this one was of a magnituted several times larger than the previous ones.

Chissoku simply made a barrier around her made of dense and tightly woven together hair than deflected the blast around her. Approachng Raze even faster, she maintained a gloomy look upon her face before thowing a spear made from her hair to impact the hawk that flew off.

"Its time for this I see." Raze smiled wholeheartedly as he tapped the bottom of his zanpakuto a few moments before the blast hit him. As the smoke cleared, his body could be seen lifeless and charred as it sat uunmoving on the ground as if his very being was entirely destroyed from the attack.

"Interesting. I can still sense you boy." Hibiki looked around slowly. "You can't hide from me. Socius." Several more hawks appeared. "Fly to the skies, and show me what you see my pets." The hawks flew up and scanned the area.

Chissoku looked up at the hawks before looking back down at Hibiki. "If you can sense him..." She then sent several tendrils up in order to pierce through the flying summons' bodies. "Then why do you need them at all?"

"There is a difference between 'sensing' and 'knowing where he is'. For starters, it isn't quite a human presence anymore. And please, stop killing my pets, they do have feelings you know. Scindo." Hibiki swung his blade, sending an arc of energy that freed the hawks and their bodies reformed.

"Why does it matter? If I kill them then my master could do as he pleases. For now all you have to do is tangle with me." Chissoku looked up at the hawks again before sending strands of hair into the ground that began burrowing toward Hibiki without his knowledge.

"I see a bulge in the ground near your feet, are you up to something?" One of the hawks was circling around Chissoku in the air, looking down at her. "Perpahs I should get off the ground?" Hibiki jumped and levitated in the air, before casting a glance around. "Oh? Is that a...snake?" One of the hawks was circling around an area that wasn't easily visible from their battle field.

"Perfect." Chissoku spoke as the hair she sent into ground gathered up the rock from the area and shot forth from the ground in the form of spirals that increased in speed the longer they flew in the air. As they flew toward Hibiki, Chissoku threw several stands of hair that formed into a dense wall in order to snare the levitating man.