Battle of Demons

Roaring Fire
''Drip. Drip.''

Ahatake gripped his shoulder as he felt the blade slice into his skin, and blood spurted out, before dripping down to the ground. He watched as Machishi advanced with an insane glint in her eye.

"..Damn..." He muttered, trying to stop the bleeding. "I might actually die here...!"

Machishi swung her blade forward the moment that Ahatake muttered those words- her sword was coated in scarlet spiritual power, only being reinforced by the kinetic energy produced with her swing and her own strength. "You lose here!"

"Dammit, no!" Ahatake ducked to the ground, and then proceeded to roll, opting for the common method to extinguish a flame to doge this woman's impending strike. He felt the ground tremble as her sword made contact, causing an explosion that shook him and caused him to make one wrong movement, landing on his shoulder-wound. "Gragh!" He cried out, however, he had to ignore the pain as he tried to stand up.

"I'm not done with you..." He gripped his blade. "I've still got more to go!"

"Very good! You're going to give me a good show, right? I'll be pissed if you don't. And we all know where that'll lead." She grinned insanely, leaping back. "Now, come at me with all of your might!"

Ahatake gripped his blade, slowly taking a breath as his spiritual power began to rise. "Blaze! Katenare!" With these words, his blade erupted into a mass of flames, licking the blade and the ground as they expanded with his power. Ahatake raised his blade, the area being lit up by orange light. "It took me awhile, but I had this little thing beat into me. This is my Shikai, the release of my Zanpakutō. What you see, right here and now, is the shape of my power."

Machishi sighed, looking at how the blade looks. "...I see. It looks weak- like a twig. I could snap it in a single move if I wished. However, that's really interesting, boy. Looks like there's a spark to light your flame right there."

Ahatake gripped the blade, and then swung it, the resulting motion slicing a building entirely in half. "I think this can work..." He looked over at Machishi. "I didn't follow a word of what you said, but I do know I have to beat you, here and now, if I want to move on. Besides, Gaikou might need help." He began to twirl the blade, creating a brilliant display of fire.

"Your friend will be fine- fine display on my wall, that is." She was absolutely terrible. "But let's see if it'll work, then!" Machishi swung forward, aiming for a resolute clash of blades.

Ahatake jumped back, her blade grazing by his face. "Crap, she's still just as fast. There is no way I'm going to go head-to-head!" Despite saying this, he knew just backing away would get him nowhere, and thus, he lunged towards her, his flaming blade poised as he thrust forward.

Machishi calmly charged reiatsu into her blade, and holding it in one of her hands, she condensed the reiatsu to its utmost limit while she raised it clockwise until she was grasping it above her head, the sword piercing the sky. Compressing the reiatsu, Machishi gripped her sword tightly, before swiftly swinging down with overwhelming force—unleashing her sword and delivering a single almighty slash that had no peer, releasing an overwhelming wave of energy that intercepted him immediately.

Ahatake, as if on reflex, raised his blade to block, and the energy collided with the heated weapon. With no ground to brace himself on, Ahatake was thrown backwards by the force and enveloped in energy. As he emerged from the rubble of the building he collided with, in tandem with the resulting explosion however, Ahatake was only bleeding. In fact, even his outfit appeared fine. "Whew..." He wiped some blood off of his cheek. "You're....you're insane." He looked at his body. "I'm actually surprised I'm not dead."

"I'm surprised too." She grinned like a maniac. "But it's a pleasant surprise!"

"Personally, I don't know how I just survived that..." He crouched, clenching his blade. "I also don't care. All I know is, I ain't getting hit by it again." He launched himself forward, a sudden boost in speed closing the distance between him and this woman within second as he swung Katanare.

"Go, my own sword!" She chanted as she allowed the spiritual particles composing her blade to break down upon release, transforming it into a wave of energy shaped like a katana blade- it was more like a laser blade. Swinging forward, flames and pure energy clashed.

"She's good!" Ahatake gritted his teeth as they clashed blades, repeatedly moving around each other in a circle-motion, weaving in and out as flame and energy, metal on metal, clashed, breaking the ground apart from the spiritual pressure. "Almost too good! I can't find an opening!"

Key word here being 'almost'. Machishi pushed forward violently, attempting to knock her foe back with a certain vigor that was almost too ferocious. "...You're mine!" Seeing a brief opening, the woman extended her left leg, snapping forward with a powerful kick aimed at his kneecap.

Ahatake, however, jerked himself to his left, the woman's kick missing him by inches as he ducked to the ground, furiously sliding his right leg at Machishi's own — the only leg she happened to be using for balance with her left still raised.

"...You're a bit slow." Machishi made a quick hop upwards with the leg on the ground, leaping over Ahatake's leg while the two were still in the heat of the battle. In mid air; she quickly broke free, swinging downwards with her laser blade in a kendo stance- aiming to deal some serious damage right about now.

Ahatake, close to the ground already, fully stuck himself to the ground, sliding over to the left as her blade hit the ground, cracking and shattering it. He immediately propelled himself up, wasting no time in taking to her back and, wielding Katenare, swinging the blade down upon the woman's shoulder.

"Guh!" Machishi let out a subdued shriek; it wasnt very audible, but it was still there. "...That was a good strike." Blood was leaking from her shoulder, and yet, she still took a fighting stance, swinging at Ahatake mercilessly with her fists. "...You've got me interested now, boy!"

Her punch connected, sending Ahatake hurtling backwards, however, he gripped into the ground, skidding along before he reached a stop. "I'm through messing around!" Ahatake growled, and deeply inhaled air before blowing out a large stream of fire towards Machishi.

"Guh!" Machishi was hit head-on by Ahatake's assault- it seemed that finally, he was beginning to get the upperhand on her. As the flames charred her body, she sliced through the inferno with a powerful kick, before rushing forward at him, aiming to knock his teeth out. "Don't rely on fancy tricks."

"Sorry...!" Ahatake jerked his head to the right, letting her foot slide by him as she got close enough. "I have too much riding on me to lose to you now!" He swung his blade once more, slicing upwards to cut from the hip to the shoulder.

"Gh!' Machishi was struck once more. Without a doubt, her effectiveness in battle was beginning to wane tremendously. "...Very well!" She stood from the previous blow, coughing up blood- however, her aura surged violently, causing an updraft. "...I'm going to give it my all too!" She charged spiritual power into her fists, as she temporarily healed herself for this strike. Charging forward, Machishi swung her foot towards Ahatake's head in a hurricane kick- this was her ultimate, and final attack.

Ahatake shifted his body to the right once more, protecting his head, but sacrificing the left side of his body as the kick collided with his chest, shattering what felt like his collar bone. Jerking from the immense pain, he forced himself to ignore it as he thrust his flaming blade forward, attempting to gore Machishi on it's end.

Machishi quickly evaded his strike mid-blow, leaping back ever-so-slightly, charging forward with a shoulder-tackle, aiming to take the young man down...only to fall down mid-charge. She was at her absolute limit right now- there was nothing she could do further to continue the battle. "....You win...." Her breathing was heavy; her hair a mess as her body slowly rose and fell ever so slightly in panting.

"Oh...smashing..." Ahatake gasped as he fell to his knees. "Dammit...." The pain in his body was tremendous and he simply collapsed, hitting the ground and falling unconscious immediately, his blade resealing itself.