Inquiry into Madness

Three men, each bound by friendship, though each wishing to test their limits; were set to gather. The wind was blowing through the abandoned streets of Fake Karakura Town in, long ago abandoned after the Winter War. A good deal of the city a ruin after the last battle to take place in those dust-covered streets... Now, another was set to begin.

Introduction to Madness
Kenji Hiroshi, Head-Captain of the Ryū Order and son of the Shiba Family looked over the landscape below; not feeling the goosebumps he once had when he looked out towards the outskirts where the Gotei 13 and the Vizard met to battle the Espada; where had fought. Evidence from Kenji's last battle was all around him. Buildings rose in mismatched bundles, some with their rooftops gone and walls with holes blown in the sides. Everywhere he looked he saw the vestiges of what the town had once looked like and felt a stabbing amount of regret. Something could be made of this place... something spectacular. But he shook his head and dispelled those thoughts. He was the first to arrive, though he didn't doubt his competition would be long in following his example. Shinrei Kurosaki stood at his side, eager to witness what he thought was to be something spectacular. He was right. He had been there when Kenji had fought Van. He had learned a great deal from that battle alone, namely how he was to make the maximum use of his low levels of stamina. "They're late," The youngster said impatiently.

"Give them time, Shinrei." Kenji ruffled his hair and smiled down at him from. Taking a seat on the edge of the building he had stepped out of the Garganta opening onto, he allowed his legs to hang precariously over the edge and swing like a pendulum. The sun was out, but the clouds were dark and promised rain. The sun might last a while, but it was inevitable. Taking a sigh, Kenji regarded both his brothers who followed soon after. Meian, the oldest, had warned him about Averian lurking around nearby. Rosuto maintained that the only way they could have a fight in peace without the Arrancar showing up and sticking his oar in was if the two big brothers were there to act as a deterrent. So Meian and Rosuto vanished towards the outskirts, out of reach and out of mind, but ready to intervene and distract Averian if they had to. Now all Kenji had to do was wait and see who showed up first.

As Kenji and his associates waited for the other combatants, Naishō Kawahiru made his own entrance. "Hello, Kenji! Who's all those people with you?" he asked, puzzled as of why more than just him and the Shiba clansman were present. Wasn't this just a battle between the two new-found rivals? Was it something more? These questions plagued Naishō's mind as he made his way towards his black-haired adversary, his almost famous smirk plastered across his face while he strut over to Kenji.

"Oi! Sorry about my tardiness, I kinda got lost." Van smirked at the two men as he stepped from a rift he opened behind the three men. "Hm, Kenji, Shinrei, and Naisho? Haha, now I feel like I should have brought Tenma or at least Ekatarina. Those two need more casual interactions other than just battling in the field." Walking over toward a closer location to his friends, Van smiled. "Hm. So, we have the guy I can't keep down, the little boy who carries Aoi, and the man who just weirds me out to no end but somehow still intrigues me. This should be an interesting meeting to say the least."

Slightly put off by Van's comment, Naishō's usual smirk quickly morphed into a grimace. "I weird you out to no end? I'm training your child, if I recall correctly..." the red-haired Kawahiru said, his tone clearly implying he would severely punish Haruki for his father's doings once he got back with his young student. "Anyways," he continued, "how 'bout we get this little shindig started, eh?" he asked, disappearing and reappearing several paces away from Kenji and Van, making equal space between each combatant.

Shaking his head and slapping Van on the shoulder, Kenji began laughing. "You probably should have, pal. Meian and Rosuto are here as well encase a certain guy who thinks he's a girl shows up again. It'd be serious If I had to lead our fusion this time. Imagine." Taking two steps back and cracking his knuckles, the black-haired Shinigami bent down and done a few squats before he followed those with push-ups and sit-ups; the looseness in his muscles forgotten as he ceased his exercises finally. "But c'mon, Van." Kenji spread his arms wide, a goofy grin on his face. "I'm here to for three things in this life. Kill an Arrancar or three. Raise my boy well. Keep my wife entertained, which I do fantastically. And keep you sharp. Damn, that's four, but you get what I mean."

He leapt back and upwards, taking potion on top of a nearby rooftop as he calmly observed things. The sun was shining behind him, giving a refreshing degree of warmness. Today he wore his alternate black Shihakushō, figuring he was right and fed up loosing his favorite blue one just to have some fun. It billowed out in the wind, but the Shiba clansmen made no move to attack, seemingly favoring a lazy posture. He even took the time to pick dirt from his face and flick it off his finger.

Yawning, Van smiled. "I didn't mean that in a mean way. Its more of a curiosity killed the cat type of deal. Don't worry Naisho, I'm eternally grateful for what you have planned in training Haruki. I'm sure he will come back even stronger than befrore." Turning to face Kenji, Van smiled before tapping on the hilt of his sword. "Keep me sharp eh? Aren't you the old one having to stop to do some stretches? Hahaha." Tugging on a cloak draped over his shoulder, Van walked away from the two men. "I think I'll wait for you two to get things started. Or is it that the three of us who ar einfamous for allowing our opponents to start first have gathered in this one place. If that's the case..." Crushing crystal in his hand, Van allowed it to seep into the Earth below. "Why don't we just go play a few games at the nearest arcade? Come on...what do you two say? No fighting today? Heh heh."

"You better be gratef--uhh... do you happen to know where he is? I was positive that he was next to me while we made our way here. Oh well, I'm sure he's fine, seeing as he's your son and my protege." the Kawahiru clansman mused, his tone very melancholy. "I will not make the first move, so I guess it's up too you, Kenji." he continued, cracking his knuckles as he and the Satonaka clansman next to him waited for their black-haired opponent to respond.

"Hey, I am not old! The bones just aren't what they used to be." He joked before shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Okay then, If I'm starting us all off, I won't be biased about the thing." Outstretching both his arms, palms directed towards each of his friends, Kenji's hand was overcame in a vibrant green light. "Sutorobo Kagayaku" he called, two beams of green energy loosing from his hands. But the Shiba clansmen wasn't done. He didn't sustain the attacks into a wave, instead flashing into the heavens where the clouds hid his actions. But his spiritual energy was rising, giving those beneath an idea of his intentions. Two twin bolts of lightning veered from the sky towards their targets, threatening to crush them both between the dual forces!

Yawning mockingly, Naishō created a dozen clones (including himself), the true Naishō scattered in the herd red-haired Kawahiru. "Lightning? Real original, Kenji; real original." they all remarked, snickering the entire time. After the lightning bolt that was meant for Naishō had missed it's target, half of the clones went in to strike the blond-haired Satonaka while he was busy with the bolt of electricity racing towards him, while the other six charged toward Kenji - each with their blades unsheathed.

"Heh, talk about unoriginal." Van smirked as he thought about how he has seen many cloning techniques throughout the years and knew how to deal with such a threat. Forming his right hand into a fist and placing it into a left hand, he let a smile creep across his face "Crystal Mak- Just...kidding!" Tapping his back foot on the ground, Van created a wall of crystal spires that emerged from beneath the clones.

Taking advantage of the confusion caused by Van's crystal, Kenji sprung into action. But it wasn't Sanmiittai he wielded in his palm. It was a nodachi instead roughly the height of Kenji himself with a brace on the handle. It gave no spiritual signature like a zanpakutō would and instead appeared more like an average sword an average soul might be seen utilizing. "Let me make the introductions," Kenji said as that same blade tore through two of Naishō's clones before the Shiba clansmen utilized Utsusemi to take him away from the other clones and toward Van's exposed back, roughly ten feet away from his comrade. "Van, Naishō meet Zettaiteki." There was something different about the black-haired Shinigami. He held himself with a degree of seriousness, his energy sharper than it usually was; much like how he had acted when Naishō had been taken over by his Inner Hollow in their previous encounter and when Averian had interrupted his last battle with Van. He stood with his back straight, features calm and considering and somewhat weighing, with little sign of the goofy expression he usually wore. Lightning crackled around his limbs, suffusing them and empowering them with the power of the force in question. "Lets make this one for the ages, eh, guys?" His right hand was bent at an angle towards the heavens with Zettaiteki poking out behind, his left almost brushing the floor. His legs were spread apart and bent, with the left almost touching the fingers on his left hand; boot kicking up a small amount of dust as it came to a stop. His right foot was held at a slight angle that would make it easy for him to move forward at speed by propelling himself off the floor; and the way he was positioned meant he could reach either Van or Naishō should he need to.

Sensing Kenji appear behind him, Van eyes widened as he felt the change in his friend's reiatsu. "Looks like this is going to be one of those times where I don't have to hold back at all. Heh." Van smiled as he flexed his hand in order to begin raising the very earth beneath him in order to form a stone boulder between him and his friend as he drew and orb from his pocket. "Let's go Ryoiki." Jumping back from the boulder as he kicked it toward Kenji, Van began chanting, "Dance on the River Styx, Ryoiki!" A average sized golden spear appeared in his hand as he formed a crystal bird, mid-jump and rode atop of it as it began firing several shards through the Naisho clones. "Who would've thought that the three of us would be fighting like this?"

Lucky for Naishō, he had gone towards Kenji (believing him to be the more powerful than Van) when he had dispersed his clones between the two opponents, allowing him to remain unscathed by Van's crystal shards. While Kenji and Van had their squirmish, Naishō took this as an opportunity to slash down towards the Shiba clansman's new zanpakutō, which was radiating a different signature than what Kenji normally emitted. "Well, it seems that you've got a new little toy, now don'tcha?" he asked in a playful tone.

"And being the big child I am, I wanna play a little with it." Kenji replied casually, his arm bolting out quicker than he usually moved to meet his friends strike! Crimson eyes met Naishō's pale blue, but instead of countering or following through with his block, Kenji moved to the side and sprang away, a little half-smile forming on his face. "There's one man you should never turn your back on, Naishō. And if you do, I pray you keep your senses honed." Kenji changed his trajectory with a blast of electrical energy aimed towards the floor which would throw off Van should he try a sneak attack. It was obvious the Shiba clansmen was trying to keep both foes within his visual range.

"Can't have you standing still though, Van!" Drawing his arm back and letting loose a bolt of lightning made from his own energy, Kenji aimed the blast for Van's feet in an attempt to make the Satonaka clansmen move. If things worked as he hoped, he'd have a good opening in a few moments which he waited for with all the patience of a seasoned hunter.

Seeing the lightning shot at him, Van kicked off the crystal bird an sent it colliding with the electrical blast causing the construct to shatter and rain crystal particles over his two opponents. "Heh. If you both aren't careful, well....you'll find out eventually." Van's plan had already been set in motion and now waited to enact the next phase as he drifted lazily in the air trying to find a steady place to land. "Oi! Kenji! How would you feel if I told you that you weren't the only one with electrical abilities?"

"My mouth would probably do something like this." He made a hand motion over his face as though it were dropping open impossibly like in the cartoons. He landed on both feet and skidded, dropping to one knee and surveying both his foes as he ran his hand over the edge of Zettaiteki; causing the blade to glow faintly - almost as if the sword itself was awakening.

Observing Kenji's new toy, the red-haired shinigami made a quick assumption from the information he had gathered in such a short span of time. "Okay, it appears to be a zanpakutō, but that glow could just be there to fool Van and I... In any case, I best stay clear of this blade until I learn a bit more about it." he thought to himself as he appeared to the side of the Satonaka clansman while he was still airborne. With one mighty swing, Naishō attempted to send his fist into his adversary's jaw.

Smiling at Kenji, Van winked as he opened a rift beside himself where Naisho's punch was aimed causing the red-haired Kawahiru to be diplaced bac next to Kenji. "Tsk. Tsk. Naisho. Did you really think I would leave myself vunerable like that?" Crafting a crude board, Van used it to carry himself over to a nearby clearing where he began spinning his spear in order to create a torrent of blue flames that he then launched at Kenji and Naisho. "Heh. Kenji, you remember Ryoiki's flames from our last fight. Let's see if you can withstand this while fending off your other opponent as well."

Going through the portal unfazed, Naishō merely giggled as he appeared behind Van. "Heh, and you think I don't expect something like that?" he asked mockingly, his zanpakutō's tip mere millimeters from the small of his blonde-haired opponent's back. "I won't move. They don't call me the North Wind for nothin'." he remarked, his usual smirk plastered across his face.

"No actually I didn't seeing as I haven't ever used it against you. But heh. Oh well, you make it that much more interesting." Van smirked himself before the flames created by Ryoiki began to flow over Naisho's blade causing it to develop a thick ice coating. "You must be pretty strong to have the Tejina flame work in that manner." Stepping slightly forward, Van seemingly vanished before stepping out of another rift atop of a building. "You may be fast but they call me the Yellow Flash....oh wait. No they don't, I must've read that somewhere. Heh heh."

Releasing a minor shockwave of spiritual energy with his blade being the epicenter, the ice coating the zanpakutō was shattered, causing a few shards to cut Naishō. Appearing a few meters to the left of Van, the red-haired shinigami just continued to grin. "Heh, sounds like something from a shōnen magazine. But I can make it across the Soul Society in just under fifty second with my own speed alone. Moving around in this little city's nothing compared to Soul Society." he continued ranting, awaiting either of his opponent's next moves.

Kenji observed things calmly from his position, using this opportunity to get a better grasp of his friends various movements and techniques. "Van's flames..." He thought with a glancing look at the arm he'd almost lost to those flames some weeks ago. He did chuckle though at Naishō's movements. "I wonder if its just a bad habit he's gained to always aim for the small of the back?" Finishing his inner monologue, the Shiba clansmen adjusted the hilt brace on Zettaiteki a little so it gave off not a shred of energy, even should he strike either of his foes.

Using the entire fight between his two friends as a diversion, Kenji descended into the shadows of Karakura, where he used the Kidō spell called Kyokko to curve light around his limbs, rendering him invisible and masking his spiritual energy signature from sensory techniques. Content that he was sufficiently hidden, Kenji formed a single lightning clone who appeared via Shunpo to stand near Van and Naishō. "North Wind and Yellow Flash, eh?" The clone hung his head in the same way the real Kenji would and chuckled. "Then I guess you can call me the utterly gutsy, not to mention handsome, Shinigami. Nice to met you all!"

"You're both slipping." Van smiled taking a mental note of Kenji's spiritual signature. "Hmmm something's off. Then again its probably due to that new sword." Smirking once more, Van tapped on the ground causing two spires to rise from the ground. "I was just kidding about the yellow flash comment. But eh....I kinda like it. At least it grants me a title to use in my secondary fighting style. Heh." Directing the spires with his hands, Van caused both to shatter into a series of of long spears that he fired at his two opponents.

Hardening his spiritual pressure around himself, Naishō coated his body with layer upon layer of reiatsu, effectively making a skin-tight shield of sorts. As the long crystal spears flew towards the red-haired shinigami, he stood there as the rebounded off, as if they were merely rubber toys. "Is that the extent of your crystals' strength?" he asked; although he hadn't meant it to, his tone came off quite mockingly.

Kenji's clone waited for the last possible second before utilizing Utsusemi to maneuver himself away, leaving an afterimage to be pierced by the sharpened point of Van's crystal. "Now to spring the trap," He said with a grin, before his entire body dissolved and formed a javelin of electricity that floated in the air near Van's location. To Van's eyes and senses, he would see nothing more than a hand rip through the air, the point of Zettaiteki threatening to pierce his ribs as the real Kenji made himself known! With his eyes taking in the red-haired figure of Naishō, Kenji directed the previously formed javelin and muttered "Amatsusashijou", causing the javelin to begin spinning like a drill as it threatened to strike the Kawahiru clansmen.

Whispering under his breath, Van formed a small smirk. "Sorry Kenji. I didn't mention this before but my eyesight allows me to see you a bit slower." Pulling the spear to his side, Van maneuverd the shaft of his zanpakuto to slightly deflect the blade of Kenji's new weapon away from him. "Heh. You guys are alot more vibrant than some other fighters I've faced recently." Sliding his foot across the ground, Van formed a series of crystal whips form the ground that whipped at his two opponents.

Creating a large-scale shockwave of spiritual energy, the red-haired Kawahiru boy instantly vaporized the Shiba clansman's attack, while shielding himself from Van's crystalline whips. "Hah, why thank you, Van. I feel the same about you two as well." he said with his usual grin. Immediately following, Naishō disappeared into the false Karakura Town, suppressing his reiryoku so he would become undetectable.

Believing that his diversion and tactics would've been enough, Kenji hadn't planned for his attack being deflected quite so easily. The crystal whip wrapped around his exposed arm, dragging him bodily from the previous safety Kyokko had offered. The whips performed their function well, lashing Kenji through three buildings bodily before the Shiba clansmen had quite enough of being thrown around like a rag doll. Concentration marred his features and a brief flash of electricity flowed around the crystal entrapping him before it was seemingly altered into a bolt of electricity Kenji then directed into his body. Reestablishing his severed emotions, Kenji skidded to a halt from the momentum he still carried and landed atop a nearby satellite dish atop a lone building a ways from his friends; all the while appearing like a bird of prey upon their perch.

"You saw me, didn't you?" Kenji asked with his usual grin, the seriousness he started the fight with giving way to his usual fun-loving self. "How in the nine hells did you manage that? No, don't tell me. You'll only give away the surprise." Knowing Van as well as he did, Kenji was sure the blond-haired man who was simply smirking at him had more than one trick hidden up those white-colored sleeves. "Your as bad as Urahara Kisuke..." He mumbled barely loud enough to be heard, before looking around - finally shaking his head with a sigh. The disturbance in the static electricity in the air told him Naishō wasn't far away. "Now now, Naishō. Hiding ain't your style, pal." He cast a look over his shoulder, revealing a knowing little half-smile.

Appearing centimeters from his black-haired adversary's side, Naishō merely smirked his usual smirk. "You're right, especially in such a spectacular battle such as this one." he said, unsheathing the blade he had re-sheathed while he was gone. Unbeknownst to the Shiba clansman, the red-haired Kawahiru had charged up his clan's signature kidō spell: Hadō #88 - Hiryugekizokushintenraiho. Without any indication, Naishō shot the powerful blast of electricity towards Kenji, with only a few measly centimeters between them. "Good luck with that, my friend." he thought to himself as he launched the blast.

Revealing himself through a rift in front of Kenji, Van appeared with a hand outstretched as he began crystallizing the spell shot toward his friend. "Tsk. Tsk. Leaving me out of the fun. And as bad as Urahara? I wouldn't say that. Maybe just as cunning...hmmm or maybe that's what you meant. In any case..." Van jumped up as he crushed the the crystallized spell before reconstructing it into a pair of large dragons that he shot toward his two competitors. "Hmm...I wonder when a good time for me to start would be? Maybe in a few moments I suppose."

Caught off-gaurd by Van's presence, as well as being too close to do anything about the mythical creature of crystal, the red-haired shinigami was sent hurdling into a nearby building, the dragon's force too much for the boy of royal blood. Picking himself up from the now totaled building, Naishō realized he had a rather large cut on his thigh, blood slowly seeping out of the flesh wound. "Very nice, Van. I guess I was wrong about you; maybe Haruki can't surpass you." he remarked, unable to move at the current moment.

Not really wanting to be hurled like a rag doll by Van's crystal again so soon, Kenji impacted the air at his back and twisted in the air with the momentum his action caused him to carry; the dragon spiraling towards him from below where he braced Zettaiteki between its jaws, the force of the mythical creature of crystal forcing the Shiba clansmen into the air along with its large bulk; though Kenji was far from finished. "I don't much... like the thought... of making the rounds... through your innards! Hadō 85: Zaiten Sōkatsui!" With the position of Zettaiteki jammed between its jaws and the corresponding location of Kenji's palms, the blast went right down the crystal constructs gaping throat! The force the blast carried served to propel Kenji backwards where he skidded along the side of a building, finally leaping from the stone surface to land lightly on the ground; the dragon shattering into pieces at his feet. "You watch my back one second and then nearly kill me in the same action?" He sounded somewhat hurt, though Van would pick up on the lie underneath easily. His goofy grin was enough to ensure that. "I'm impressed."

Meanwhile... in. White hair billowing in the winds blowing through the sandy plains, Meian looked at the group of arrayed before him and Rosuto, whose loose-fitting kimono was blowing just as much as Meian's hair. Drawn to Fake Karakura Town for the known signatures that fought within even now, Averian had been preparing his forces in order to pick off the weakened combatants when their fight finally wrapped up, much like how he had done once before. But something didn't quite go as according to plan as the Hollow or their master had expected. "They look surprised to see us brother," Rosuto said with one of his cheeky little half smiles.

"That they do, Rosuto." Meian replied, taking several steps forward; every inch the figure of power Averian's spies said he was. "Do you honestly think I'd let you target my little brother again so easily?" The last was directed at the powerful presence standing in the heart of the Hollow force arrayed before the Shiba brothers.

"I've been looking forward to this." Rosuto chimed in. "Have you any idea how often Kenji came to me when I was floating through that timeless hell, just wishing I was there physically to help him? More times than I care to count, Averian." A hard cast to Rosuto's features were visible in the pale light the moon cast. "No more, Averian." Two brothers stared down the stream-lined features of Averian, their battle ready to commence.

Fake Karakura Town. From his rooftop perch overlooking the town and the combatants, Shinrei Kurosaki watched with all the patience of a person much older than he was. His foot was tapping the beat of a tune he was humming quietly to himself as his mentor shot a Kidō spell down the throat of the crystal dragon threatening to devour him. He couldn't help noting that Meian and Rosuto had left not long ago through a Garganta, saying something about "ending it". The youngster knew what it meant but also knew he couldn't help, especially after the last trouncing he received at Averian's hands. So instead he kept watching, quietly learning and silently praying. Smiling, Van descended down to the ground below before watching both deciding upon his next move. "Haha. Sorry Kenji, I can't just let you get knocked away but by the same token...I can't let you beat me. Heh heh." Quickly placing his hands together, Van began forming a series of shuriken around himself. "I suppose it wouldn't be fit for me to just go ahead and let up." Tapping his foot on the ground, Van began slowly focusing his spiritual energy around his body in the form of a tight-fitting armor for what was surely soon to come.

Inhaling sharply, reveling in the landscape, the competition; the friendly banter... And Kenji came to the conclusion that it was a good day to be alive. "I should thank you two," He said suddenly, without provocation. "And I'll tell you all why afterwards." Lightning danced across his limbs, suffusing his body, empowering him. But something else was visible on those features and that was the simple joy one took in passing an afternoon while doing something he was good at, while at the same time doing it with people he liked. "Right guys, time to kick things up a notch or two!"

Kenji blurred and seemingly split into three, two clones banking away from him and moving towards both his good friends, swords barred and flashing. In that moment, Kenji took to the heavens with a leap, turning as he made the motion; spinning somewhat like a drill, the electricity still crackling as it followed his circular motion. Finally ceasing, the energy around him still spinning as he put a level of rotation in the reiatsu he expelled, Kenji shot forward with the 140,000mph speed granted by Keikaisochi! Kenji leveled buildings as he blasted towards both his allies at a speed that would make dodging nigh on impossible, with the odds of blocking the full force of his movement also unlikely. The drill form Kenji took neared Van, threatening to run him over as Kenji set his sights on Naishō!

Van appeared surprised as he looked at Kenji. "Even with my eyes, he's still moving incredibly fast." Bracing himself with a thin layer of cystal, Van was struck by the sheer force of Kenji's attack causing her to fly through a building before revealing himself to have a series of 1st degree burns along the left side of his body. "heh.....I'll get you....ba...ck. Just...you wait. I j...ust need a bit of rest first."

"I am not getting hurt twice in a row - I'll look back in front of Kenji!" the red-haired shinigami said as he created a massive shockwave, which took the full-force of the bullet known as Kenji. After that was cleared up, Naishō appeared near Van, his soul blade, Hanaui Jaainsig, unsheathed. "Should we use our zanpakutō yet, or will this be melee battle?" he asked, wanting to finally reveal his true shikai.

Instead of stopping Kenji's advance, the shockwave produced by Naishō only served to divert his course. Finally coming to a stop, skidding along the streets on a thin layer of reishi, Kenji stopped and took several deep breathes to compensate for his exertion. After catching his breathe and ascending into the sky once again, the Shiba clansmen chuckled slightly before shaking his head. "That's one I'll need to remember. That looked pretty painful." Looking into the hole where Van had been hurled, Kenji flashed stepped towards his friend. "Uh, Van? You okay pal?"

"Ehhhhhhhhh!? Am I ok? Sheesh. You two don't know how to keep up the dramatic tension do ya? Asking questions mid-battle hahaha." Van cracked his neck as he formed a sword in his hand. "My my. Let's continue shall we?" Opening a rift behind him, Van leaned back into it before appearing above his two opponents with a large gaping mouth opened downward toward them. Kicking it downward, Van's face showed little change as he hoped that one of the men would destroy this construct as well.

Kenji's face went through several different expressions: bemused, confusion, a degree of happiness as he laughed and finally fear of being eaten. Turning, lightning dancing along his ankles, Kenji slid to the right and sheathed Zettaiteki through his ōbi, foot and hands digging into the stone of a nearby three-story building. Climbing up the building and finally propelling himself off it at an angle, Kenji landed atop the descending head shape before leaping high towards Vans aerial stand-point, figuring he'd leave the mouth to Naishō. Drawing Zettaiteki again, Kenji charged the blade with an electric aura before aiming a slash at his friends torso!

Van smiled as she confidently tried to open another rift to effortlessly divert the blade, however a pain struck him in his chest as nothing came out and Kenji's electrified blade sliced him clear across the chest leaving a large wound. "Guah!" Spitting up blood, Van's eyes suddenly went white as he fell limp to the top of a nearby building.

"Hiroshi! You always leave me to deal with these kinds of things! One day..." Naishō said as he shot an unnamed kidō spell towards the construct, effortlessly shattering it. "Van, let's get serious, shall we?" he continued, his usual smirk plastered to his face.

Van managed a small smile as the color came back to his eyes and watched the crystal construct shatter and rain over Naisho, before he thought to himself "Heh. Finally looks like all the pieces are in place. Its time to seal them for a bit while I heal myself up." Crystallizing the blood from the wound, Van sealed his injury before placing his back against a wall to hold himself up. "Oi! You two, you mind if you stop moving for a bit? No? Oh well...you don't have a choice." Placing his hands in a pyramid shape, Van caused the crystal particles placed on both of the men to slowly expand creating two large pillars of crystal, that constantly created new layers from each of the smaller particles and began to reach into the sky.

"It'll take more than this, Van." Kenji thought as he severed his emotions. Even trapped as he was in the crystal pillar, concentrating was one thing he could do easily enough. The crystal that ensnared him was there one minute, then another it was replaced with a tremendous amount of lightning. Using his training in the Yuengiri art of obtaining harmony between mind, body and soul - in Kenji's case allowing him to disrupt or alter matter on the molecular level, turning it into something he could use himself with little trouble. "Sorry Van," He said with a half grin as he drew his arms back and sheathed Zettaiteki, the lightning forming along his forearms, taking the shape of forearm blades that appeared almost Katara-like in appearance. Taking an offensive stance favoring Hakuda, the Shiba clansmen reinstated his emotions and made himself ready.

Using Hadō #1 - Shō upon himself, the red-haired shinigami was pushed back, effectively evading the crystalline structure that would have trapped him. "Mm-mm, Van. I thought you wouldn't resort to that." Shrugging, Naishō continued. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to release shikai to take on both of you. I want to become." he said as his soul blade was enveloped in a surge of spiritual energy, pushing everything within the direct vicinity towards the edges of the false-Karakura. After the dust had dissipated, it was clear that this battle would be fought in rubble. "Shall we truly begin?" he asked, his usual smirk still present.

That played into Kenji's hands. The dust caused from the demolished buildings rose into the air gradually, and in time would allow him to simply beckon lightning to his hand without the need of expelling the energy needed to create it. Of course none of this showed on the face of the Shiba clansmen. He had witnessed Naishō's Shikai release once before, felt the power it emanated on that day. To keep his ground all he had to do was seek his equilibrium to avoid the shockwaves effect of unbalancing him. "Well well, Naishō. Looks like you've decided to set the pace this time." The energy around Kenji's body intensified, drawn from the lightning of his aura to suffuse his body; augmenting his base skills - strength, speed and durability. "So... whose gonna start this dance?"

"I might as well, seeing as I never do." Naishō said jokingly. Turning his attention to Van, who was still propped up against the one building that was still standing, the Kawahiru clansman gathered energy into his blade and, after it had gathered enough to suffice, he released it in the form of a massive shockwave of reiryoku, hoping it would cause the blond-haired Satonaka to make some sort of move from the building that was surely going to disappear into the rubble as its brethren had done only moments ago.

Still somewhat winded from the exertions rapid molecular reconstruction caused, which had saved him from Van's construct, Kenji simply watched as he backed up; taking deep breathes and then regulating his breathing quickly and with the ease of a seasoned warrior. While the buildings and their towering heights were gone, reduced to rubble by Naishō's shockwave, the rubble in question was quite large and served the purpose of hiding the Shiba clansmen from view rather well. Hiding being the invisible qualities of Kyokko, Kenji took his time; poised like a snake and ready to strike. All he needed was an opening to exploit. "I've seen Naishō's release... but never its powers. Its as mysterious to me as Zettaiteki is to him. And what's Van been building up to? Those rifts he's been opening are interesting..." He started to wish he had Kusaka's powers of observation right about now...

Resheathing Ryoiki, Van smirked as the shockwave destroyed the building and his limp body could be seen falling with the rubble into the ground below effectively removing him from view. As lay buried by the broken pieces of the tall building, he remained motionless before looking around. "Heh. Its not as if I'm gonna die here. By why does my body feel so numb? Its as if I can't move muscles properly or there is too much energy in my movements. I guess I can just stay here for a bit a rest up in any case."

Sighing, Naishō awaited his opponents' next attacks.

"This is new." Kenji thought from the shadows. "Vans not so energetic and Naishō ain't taking the initiative? Am I seeing the precursor the world ending, by any chance?" Curiosity caught, Kenji moved to Naishō's flank. Observing things calmly, Kenji echoed Naishō's sigh and dropped the cover that hid him, stepping out of the veil to stand beside the red-haired Kawahiru clansmen. "Is it just me or does something seem up with you two?" He scratched the back of his head in a nonchalant manner, taking the time to flick a speck of dirt from his cheek. "He's nowhere near as energetic as I remember-" Gesturing sharply to Van "-and you seem down about something, 'cause you normally follow up and take the initiative, Naishō."

"This isn't that bad. I suppose its like finding peace." As Van sat in the darkness of the ruins a light began to envelop him.

Looking down at the ground, Naishō spoke up. "Well, I have something to say, but I don't know when the right time to do so would be..." the red-haired shinigami said as his voice began to tremble and trail off.

Looking at the rubble surrounding them, Kenji settled for a large piece of stone which had remained somewhat hole following Naishō's release. Taking a seat with his right leg laid atop his left, his left foot planted on the ground; Kenji rested his chin on the back of his hands, which cupped around the hilt of Zettaiteki. "Whats on your mind?" He asked, seemingly discarding the fact that, at present, they were having a battle.

Van's rubble suddenly began to glow with a rainbow colored light as several rifts escaped from his body and began forming into a large black ball. As it grew and size, the rubble was seemingly sucked inside of it as Van's body rose up from the ground. "Heh. Nice day we're having boys. Er? What's going on now?" Van spoke as he looked at the two sitting aorund casually.