One Winged Twilight

A Time to Kill
Nothing gave Myst more satisfaction that reveling in the hunt of any powerful spiritual being, and taking their blood by force. the brief moment between life and death was a rush in and of itself, but causing that moment to sustain yourself was something else entirely, and strong beings only made it better. Sure she never killed an innocent person by drinking them, but visit any local prisons and they will tell you of a strange rash of deaths in the compound. During this particular night, however, she reminised of a Quincy who could actually fight her on even grounds, Ryuichi Ishida. Although faint, there was still a mark on her wrist from his attack, and she was in her vampire form to boot. I wonder what he's doing tonight.

---

A blood curdling roar resounded in the vacant lot, as the bestial bear-like Hollow reared itself to attack. But its assailant was faster, disappearing in a blur as they skillfully maneuvered through its attacks. The attacker, a human boy no older than a teen darted to the side as a claw buried itself into the ground, whipping out a handgun and firing a single shot. A white and blue stream of pulsating energy pierced the Hollow straight through its head, causing its body to dissolve sparkling white particles before they too faded from view.

One of the last Quincy alive, the self-proclaimed Quincy Prince, stood tall, like a towering mountain, as he watched with disinterested eyes the final grueling moments of the Hollow's life. It's been a few days since he met with that mysterious woman, and to his growing frustration the monotony of killing such weak Hollows. His shoulders sagged with boredom, before he noticed a small blip, within his senses. It was quite far, but...familiar. He turned in the direction of the source, and decided that he would give chase. It was difficult to tell whether the origin was friend or foe, and the fact that he could sense it out to this distance meant that whomever it was, held a tremendous level of spiritual power. Curious, he moved with startling speed, flickering through the night sky, a fire burning in his eyes.

Yes, the hunt had begun.

Myst's senses were on alert because of her recent kill. From the edge of her sensory range, she picked up a very massive spirtual energy, Not knowing who owned it, and always looking for a romantic dinner with Kite, she decided to meet this whatever it was face to face. Because of it's reletive strength always being a concern, she activated her vampire form, her hair become white and her eyes were red, over her back was draped the haori the Kyuuban wear when in this state, with the kanji for Hate and Betrayal on the back.

---

Not surprisingly, his quarry had also noticed his presence. Good. Not only that, but they were now moving towards him. Even better. He slowed his travel, his eyes darting around the neighborhood looking for an appropiate battleground. In a few moments his gaze settled onto a nearby park residing with a small mountain range to its immediate east. He maneuvered his trajectory so that both he and his quarry would arrive at roughly the same time.

As the origin grew closer however, he mentally berated himself for not recognizing who it was earlier. He had memorized the distinct ebb and flow of that particular reiatsu, so he was not surprised when they revealed themselves, landing with all the grace and elegence of a trained predator.

Unlike last time, she was already in her transformed state, her white hair glistening under the moonlight, and those dazzling, vibrant red eyes staring with surprise at him. While he might have insulted vampires in their previous encounter, none could debate the beauty of their woman.

"Why this is a pleasant surprise, its good to see you again Myst."

Myst smiled warmly. "Hey Ryuichi. Glad to see you're still alive. After all, you did survive against me in this form, so you dying would kinda put a damper on any expectations of a fun night without Kite." ''He's gotten stronger, I can feel it. No wonder I decided to transform before hand.'' "So, what have you been up to since our little spar?" she asked.

Ryuichi returned her smile. "Vanquishing demons, hollow hybrids, crazed lunatics, and meeting with beings that would have Soul Society in an uproar. But aside from that, I'm doing quite well, thank you for asking." The fact that he is being quite civil, even jovial with Myst, was a stark contrast to the arrogant, concieted man she met before. Whatever had happened after his fight, had apparently tempered his demeanor, giving way to a somewhat more mature Ryuichi.

"But what of you? I expected to hear quite a bit more regarding mysterious disappearances and outcry's of vampires on the loose. And, are you still searching for your friend?" He asked.

"No. He's long gone now. Such is life I guess. what happened to the cockey kid who crossed my path many moons ago? You're actually acting mature." Myst asked with a feigned surprise, "Oh, and don't worry, most of the Reikon Kyuuban are well controlled. After all, they are my children in a fasion."

"I had to grow up. There are forces out there growing in power far beyond my own abilities as a Quincy. I had thought myself king of the world, only to find it crumbling beneath me. But my efforts have bore fruit. Come, its been sometime since we last saw each other, and the only way warriors such as ourselves can truly communicate is through battle. I'm quite eager to test out my own abilities, and to see the true extent of yours." Crossing one arm behind his back and the other sweeping across his torso, he bows. "May I take this dance?"

Myst smirked. "My, what a gentleman. I would be honored to dance with you. I suppose I'll go first." she said, firing a Kyūketsuki Ga Satsuei, her signature attack In the back of her mind she could feel the hunger once more. ''What about this person makes me want his blood so much? Why can't I stop thinking about it?''

Fast! Ryuichi quickly brought up a barrier, a blue shimmering sigil manifesting in front of him, as her beam smashed into his barrier, nearly destroying it outright. He used the brief delay to move from his position using Hirenkyaku. He appeared in the air, brandishing his trademark pistols, drawing on the ambient reishi released by her attack to form a platform beneath him.

"A silver rod strikes the five-fingered stone bed - Gritz!" He commanded. Spiritual energy whirled around his Anti-Soul Arms, a soft hum accompanying the spell as he fired a single shot, that expanded as it neared into a man-sized cross seeking to envelope Myst. Whilst casting the spell, he was charging a powerful shot with his other, releasing it a moment after his Gritz. A two-part attack designed to bind and destroy a target.

Myst used Ketsueki Butoukai to move away from the attack and got behind Ryuichi. "Missed me. C'mon, you can't have forgotton that I'm super fast in this form." she said, teasing him. "Here's a bit of triva about my attack. I can only use it every now and then because it is actually solid Reishi mixed with the blood I drink, weakening me greatly."

"Thanks for the tip, but even with that speed, you're still predictable as ever." Myst could see the barrel of a pistol beneath the arm that fired, pointing directly at her own torso. "These arent the same weapons you fought before. ADA! Initilize Boost Drive system!" He called out. To her surprise, a voice responded from the weapon itself. "Yes, my master, initialize Boost Drive system!"

In that instant, his spiritual power spiked, far higher than it had been previously, and it was continuing to grow! "Allow me to introduce you to ADA, an Artificial Zanpakutou!"

He fired point blank at Myst, whispering only the name of the spell - "Wolke!" An explosion erupted between them, as he used it to hurl himself away and hopefully disorient Myst in the process. He plummeted to the ground firing a stream of bullets that was more like a wave, as their numbers reached the hundreds, piercing the smoke that obscured Myst. He landed in a roll, taking off in a sprint with Hirenkyaku.

Myst was sent flying because of the original spell and the bullets just juggled her higher and higher, until they suddenly stopped. Thanks to her enhanced defenses in her vampire state, the attacks would leave no more than a rather large number of bruises. Without the bullets keeping her afloat, she was able to land rather safely to the ground. "Why be spontaneous when you're unkillable? Really, what would that do, exept make me even more frightning?" she asked as she followed Ryuchi's spirit energy, taking care to be on the lookout for any traps along the way.

"All things that can be created, can also be destroyed. You would do well to remember that. But I suppose me being human, gives me a different perspective no?" He retorted. ''She's much stronger than before. In our last battle, she was searching for a meal, seems like she's already had her fill this time. I wonder, if she could become in stronger if she consumed enough blood.''

Leaping into the air, he wordlessly cast another spell Heizen. A transparent rectangular beam of energy shot manifested in the air, yet he did something few would have the mind to do. As he soared past him, he flashed onto the beam, using reishi to create a sort of magnetic resonance, and rode the attack towards Myst as she followed him. He was pleased to see the surprise on her face. This time he continued his chant, summoning two more; one to flank her position, and another coming from directly above, forcing to move to either side.

Myst was shocked to see Ryuichi riding his own attack directly to her, and barely noticed the other two in her shock. Finding no logical way to dodge the attack in her current form, she used Dōbutsu Henkan to become a bat and fly away from the colliding attacks, returning to normal a few yards away.

It was his turn to gape in shock, as Myst transformed and escaped his attack. "Huh so legends weren't made up then huh? They really can assume an animal form. Interesting." He leaped off of the Heizen, landing a ways from Myst as she assumed her humanoid form again.

"I had always figured that vampires would become quite bloodthirsty in their true form. My guess, is that your current form isnt your true form then. You're simply awakening your vampiric powers, with their duration dependent on how much blood you've consumed. After that last attack, you've been entirely defensive Myst. Running out of blood?"

"Kinda. Unlike the hybrid children of mine, I can't control my blood usage per attack. I always try to drink from my opponents to cover that weakness. Most of them don't expect it, but you stop me at every turn. You truly would make the perfect vampire. You're logical, smart, clever, you enjoy the hunt as much as I do. But you already said you wanted to get stronger on your own and I respect that. But no matter how the years go, my offer will forever stand." Myst said smiling warmly dispite the exhaustion she was feeling.

Ryuichi stands still for a moment, a bit unused to the sincerity of her offer, especially from the female species. Indecision flickered in his eyes, but within moments he made his choice, retrieving a small emergency kit from a pocket, before removing a syringe. He then used it to remove a small quantity of blood, and injecting said blood into a small capsule. Once he was finished he tossed it to Myst who caught it with ease.

"I'm assuming that you vampire's obtain nourishment and spiritual energy directly from the blood itself. Given that I'm a Quincy, that should more than hold you over, at least until the end of this match. To be honest, I'm quite curious as to the true extents of a vampire's abilities. ADA and I have just begun, it would be a shame to end things now. Don't you agree?" Myst could tell that this was something Ryuichi honestly didnt do very often, in fact, judging by his body language, she could count on one hand how often he did this, and still have fingers left over. Either he considered her a great friend, or truly wanted this match. Perhaps a bit of both.

Myst downed the capsule greedily. "Thanks. I think that should last me long enough to show you a few other tricks up my sleeves. I'm sure you've read Dracula, so a few of my moves should be known to you, like becoming a bat, hypnosis, ecetera and so on. I could list stuff all night really." She said, before using Munashii Wangetsu to hide in the darkness and drawing her Zanpakto, attempting to not alert Ryuichi with the *shink* sound made from the speed of her draw, which is by far faster than a normal swordsman.

Finally, Ryuichi could feel his blood beginning to boil, as the adrenline from true combat commenced. Though he had to admit her technique was quite interesting. Even with his enhanced reiryoku senses, he could only get a general sense of her direction, nothing to indicate where though. He didnt mind though, with the smallest effort he mentally cast a contingent barrier, one that would go off under certain conditions. He waited as Myst danced through the shadows, the gentle swaying of nearby tree's and the whispering winds the only indication of her movement. He was patient though and would wait for her to attack.

Once Myst was behind Ryuichi, she decided to move in for the final strike. She used Ketsueki Butoukai to accelerate her body and therefore increase the force of her attack.

He smirked. Always predictable. His barrier sprang forth appearing at his backside as Myst's Zanpakutou crashed into it. It seemed though that Ryuichi was right about another thing. By drinking his blood, Myst had obtained a massive boost in her power, however temporary it was, and so it was with startling realization that he found Myst easily breaking through his barrier. ''Master! The barrier wont hold! Evade! NOW!'' ADA screamed. He barely had enough time to turn his body in time to see Myst slip through his barrier, barely even stopping in her momentum.

But it was just enough so that he could he defend. At this range he couldnt hope to escape with Hirenkyaku, so he did the next best thing. Time slowed to a crawl as his mind worked faster than his body, allowing him to conjure three more barriers in front of him. Myst's Zanpakutou shattered each barrier with little to no resistance, but each hundredth of a second that delayed her was one more for him to think of a defense. He couldnt see her movements, so much as snap shots, of her ever closing position. So when he found her blade but a few inches away, he jerked his body, willing every part to MOVE as her sword pierced through his flesh.

Time returned to normal, and the end of Myst's blade could be seen protruding out from Ryuichi's back. To his front however he wore a victorious grin, as she stared up in shock. Thankfully the injury was not life-threatening, he had maneuvered his body so that it didnt hit any vital organs. Gripping her sword arm, ADA in her GEMINI form was positioned right at Mysts torso.

Ryuichi chuckled, as Myst looked on in slight confusion. "Before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand, ye unholy rages shall be unleashed! Demon's Baptism!" With only a portion of the incantation, his anti-soul spell only had a similar level of power, but he had not wanted to kill her so that was fine. He was rewarded for his efforts when the bright crimson beam erupted from the barrel washing over Myst.

Myst couldn't dodge at such close range, no matter if Ryuichi was holding on to her or not. When the energy from the attack faded away, she was in her normal form with many injuries running along her body. She stared at him with a strange mix of surprise and enjoyment, a smile plastered on her face. "Impressive. I didn't think you'd go so far to land a hit. I think you won this fight, fair and square, Ryuichi."

"Heh, why thank you. I had not realized just how much of a boost my blood would give you." He said between labored breaths. He was clutching his side as blood drenched his clothing, though he otherwise seemed okay. Reaching into his pocket he drew out some medicine to take a coagulating agent. He then used reiatsu to help seal the wound as he brought himself to an upright position. "Well, that was an interesting battle, once again Myst, you've taught me alot about myself. If it were not for you, I would not have tried to create ADA. For that, you have my sincerest thanks." He smiled softly, "I'm not used to these kinds of conversations honestly, it semes that I've dominated most of it, what are your thoughts?"

Myst resheathed her Zanpakto rather slowly thanks to exhaustion. "You tought me alot about myself too. I sometimes think that as a Reikon Kyuuban, and the strongest at that, I'm almost unbeatable. Last time, you did something no other person had the chance to, and this time you did an even greater feat, even at my best. You have something that no other person I've drank from ever had. You actually have a reason to grow stronger. You're welcome about me inspiring ADA." She smiled softly.

GEMINI discorporates, the spiritual particles merging with Ryuichi as he takes a few steps forward and reaches out with his unblooded hand. "You're too kind Myst. Like I said, if you ever need my help, dont hesitate to call. I've managed to learn Garganta while you were away, so distance isnt a problem. I don't know what pushed you to become as powerful as you are, but...just keep me in mind? Maybe next we meet you can introduce me to your friends. Until then Myst." Ryuichi nodded, waiting for Myst to respond, and afterward would leave to return home.

Myst shook his hand and pulled out a scrap of paper that managed to survive the battle. "Here, this is my cell number. If you're bored or something, call me and I'll come as soon as possible. Anyway, I gotta go eat something. Don't worry, it's not blood this time." She said before turning away, and opening a black and red portal. "See ya later Ryuichi." And she walked through, the portal closing behind her.