Another hour into the fight and the two showed no signs of slowing. The mountain top was coated in frost, not that it disturbed their quick movements in any way. Over the last hour Toshiro had managed to improve his speed in order to block her quick strikes, as well as catch onto a slight shift in the air when she changed elements. It was still too subtle to predict which one she was using until she used it, but if he could focus on it more perhaps he could find a way to counter it.
Shikai was all well and good, but he was starting to exhaust the resources he had in that form. His dragons shifted from ice to water and back again much quicker on his command, and he found that infusing them with Spirit Energy increased the damage they did. The chunk missing off the mountain side could attest to that. He could change the direction of the chain-blade with simple thought and the blizzard raging around them was stronger than any he'd ever brought to him before in Shikai.
But it wasn't enough. She was too quick with element shifts even for his newfound power, and he found Lightning and Earth were becoming more of a weakness to him than Fire now, as they were harder to put out.
"Bankai!" It was time to see how much this power had changed. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"
Ruala backed away quickly from the massive burst of ice that enveloped the young prince to avoid being speared. That was different, he could use it to his advantage, going into Bankai when an enemy was near and catching them in the spikes formed.
The sphere of spikes broke away and Toshiro spread his ice wings. They were much lighter now, closer to white, as well as lighter in weight, thinner. They still looked diamond hard but it was much easier to move them in subtle ways for better flying, plus they had a more finite shape, the ice forming into razor edged feathers. The dragon head that held onto the handle of his zanpaktou over his right hand and the talons over his other hand and feet were sharper as well as lighter, the brand on his hand now showing through onto the dragon head's forehead. His movements weren't as restricted by bulky ice and it still did its job of defending him. Looking back at the tail he saw sharp points of ice on the end, perfect for slamming into an opponent.
'Our Bankai has become rather impressive.' Hyorinmaru pointed out. 'I do think it's finally complete.'
'I knew I'd get it one day, but not like this.' Toshiro replied, turning back to Ruala and holding up his blade. The blizzard had increased its intensity but he lowered it back down with a simple thought.
'There is more to learn now, and your attacks already learned will be more refined. Use them well.'
They sensed a shift in heat as Ruala lit her twin blades aflame, apparently using fire now. She'd used the same trick with lightning before and he did not want to cross blades with her again like that. He should have seen it coming, really, but he'd had a small hope it wouldn't shock him since it was magic. Physics apparently still applied.
"I can see why the dragons have chosen you as their future king." Ruala spoke up, the flaming blades out beside her. "In Bankai you become a dragon."
"I suppose." Toshiro replied. "I didn't think of that at the time."
"Shall I call you Dragon Prince, then?"
"I think I'll stick to Ice Prince. I've just started getting used to that one since I've been called that before."
"Very well."
She rushed forward again. For such a normally timid woman she was surprisingly battle hardened, almost assassin like. He vaguely wondered how Soi Fon would view her. She'd probably like her fighting style, but disagree with the 'flashy' magic.
He shook that thought away. He needed to stop looking back on his old life if he ever wanted to move forward.
With a quick flap of his wings he matched her speed and their opposite blades clashed.
"Ice Dragon Swirling Tail."
At his command a wave of ice shot off the tip, forcing her back, and spiked out in a crescent wave. She leaped up in an attempt to get over it and strike him from above.
"Void Sever." He added on to his last command, slicing upward through the air. A wave of ice now shot upwards towards the approaching guardian.
Ruala wasted no time creating a burst of flame that protected her from the ice, though it sent her off course. He took advantage of this with his flight ability and knocked her out of the sky. She twisted through the air and landed on her feet with the grace of a cat. He wasn't really surprised by that, considering her familiar's main form was a cat.
Speaking of, where had the panther vanished to? While keeping up with the fight he looked around for where the white creature had hid, possibly waiting for him to go to the right spot. He couldn't find her and there was no place to hide.
"Icicle Flock!" He shouted, sending out a barrage of dagger-like icicles.
The flame extinguished and for a brief moment Ruala looked a little tense before she created a barrier of thick vines. Flora, she hadn't used that one yet. Probably because ice killed plants. Why was she using it, then? There had to be something about that element that made it a weakness to him.
"Spread thy Blooms, Parlivor!"
'Wait, I thought she didn't have a zanpaktou!' Toshiro's eyes widened.
'She doesn't, look.'
Sofia was glowing with a soft pink light, having come from her bird form hidden in her master's hood. No wonder he couldn't find her. The glow spread upward into a thin and towering figure. When the glow dimmed she had become some sort of plant monster, body a long and thin stalk with spindly black legs, head tangled vines with a mane of pin petals and four beady black eyes. Large butterfly wings rest on its back though it obviously couldn't fly with its roots dug in. Three smaller flower heads sat periodically down the vine.
"What…is that?"
"Each elemental has a single beast that embodies its powers." Ruala explained. "When I mastered each element, Sofia was able to copy that form. This is Parlivor, the creature of Flora."
Toshiro held his sword up, wondering what this beast could do.
"Wicked Roots."
Parlivor shrieked and struck its claws into the ground. Underneath his feet, the ground shifted, giving way to razor sharp plant roots. He was quick to take to the sky.
"Thorn Barrage!"
The sky was not safe either as black thorns were launched off the beast's back and right towards him. He curled his wings around himself as a shield, able to feel the thuds as each thorn slammed against the ice. It was easy to replace what was broken, though.
Once the barrage was over, he spread his wings and sliced through the air. A winged ice dragon powered by his Spirit Energy burst from the tip and soared towards the flower beast.
Parlivor then vanished, Sofia darting away in a white cheetah form with light brown spots. She barely avoided the large dragon of ice.
"Drown thy Enemies in Darkness, Tenamancia!" Ruala commanded and this time Sofia glowed black.
She morphed into a six legged panther with leathery black skin and eyes of gold, long saber fangs gleaming in the light shining from the snow. Fire circled her ankles and the tip of her tail a blazing black fire that stole away color. With a movement of Ruala's hand the panther launched upwards, jaws open wide.
'Only light will stop it.' Hyorinmaru warned.
'I don't know how to use that.' Toshiro held his blade up and blocked the incoming attack before ducking away, using his tail to send the panther back to the ground with a crash. Tenamancia snarled and tensed to spring again.
'Not on its own, but the light is merged with my ice now.'
'Alright then.'
He dove downwards and to the side, forcing the panther to run after him.
"Breath of Shadow." Ruala chanted and the beast stopped, eyes turning red and black fire blazing larger. It held no heat, only a bitter chill that reeked of darkness and fear.
'Crap.' The Ice Prince scowled and turned himself to face the creature.
Something flashed into his head and he decided to try it out, as it seemed like a good way of defending against whatever dark power the beast was about to spew forth. He held his blade upright before him and crossed his left arm over his right at the wrist.
Tenamancia narrowed ruby eyes and lowered her head to the ground, breathing deeply.
Toshiro focused his Spirit Energy into the blade, lighting it up in the same icy-white blaze his Spiritual Pressure normally took. The blade became coated in frost.
At the same time the two fighters unleashed their attacks. The black beast gave out a roar and the area became much darker than before as black wind tore from its mouth and cut through the air towards Hitsugaya. As a counter, Toshiro tossed up his blade and caught it backwards in his left hand, putting his right back onto the hilt before stabbing it into the ground. The focused energy in his blade rocketed forward across the earth in a wave of white light, instantly freezing over as the light moved onwards before shattering into deadly shards that scoured the earth.
The light hit the black wind dead on and smothered the darkness, freezing the black wind before shattering. That did not seem to be the end, though, as Toshiro retracted his blade from the ground and pointed it forward at his target; Tenamancia. The shattered shards still lingering changed their direction and shot through the air towards the beast.
"Magic Fang!" Ruala appeared in front of Tenamancia with her blades charged of Spirit Energy above her head. She thrust both down and the two energy crescents cut through the air, destroying the barrage of ice shards just as it was also destroyed.
Toshiro grimaced; if she'd stepped in that meant his attack was indeed capable of what he'd thought it was, and that was to kill quickly. It sort of reminded him of Byakuya's Senbonzakura in how it was a vast amount of small ice shards capable of slicing through his target. It was a two part attack, though, just like Ice Dragon Swirling Tail had a second part to let him launch it skyward. The first was the wave of ice-light, the second being the shards launching towards his target.
"Impressive." Ruala said, finally sounding somewhat out of breath; not that he wasn't out of breath either. "You did not speak that attack's name."
"It doesn't have one yet." Toshiro replied. "It was…a spur of the moment reflex."
"I see. I wonder how many other attacks I can surface in your mind through this battle."
"I guess that means I'm not done yet."
"Sadly, no. you have not proven what needs to be proved."
A white eyebrow raised in question.
"You are close, though. I suppose I should have known you'd finish today. Show me how much more control you have, it is already quite refined."
"Very well, I'll take that challenge."
As time went on, the mountain became further scarred by various elements of destruction, yet the destructors were not ready to call it quits. The fight would continue until Ruala saw fit to stop it. Toshiro's energy was not yet exhausted, and he was still missing an important piece that would signal the end.
She was just about to revert Sofia to another elemental beast form, Toshiro having revealed the beginning of another new and devastating attack, one that turned the very ground into a valley of icy death with unforgiving spikes and instant frostbite, when she noticed what she'd been looking for the entire fight.
"Enough." She called, calling Sofia off. The familiar was in dragon form and quickly let go of Toshiro, her claws having been locked with his blade, and landed by her side. "We are done."
"What do you mean?" Toshiro let his valley of ice spikes break apart so he could land safely upon the frosted glass surface of the mountain top.
She let go of the handles to her blades and they contracted back into her sleeves, also putting down her hood. Her eyes had returned to normal. Toshiro remained in Bankai, blizzard still raging, in case she was planning anything.
"Your hand." She said.
Blinking curiously, he looked down to where the mark of his birthright showed through onto the dragon's head over his hand. There he noticed it, a difference in the four pointed star, the west prong now showing the Kanji symbol for Power.
"The Five Trials are complete." Ruala brought his attention away from the mark, him looking up at her with a surprised expression. "It's time we return. Your power has been considered worthy of the name Soul King."
Composing himself, Toshiro simply nodded and sealed his Bankai, the ice breaking off of him and his sword returning to its normal length where he sheathed it on his back again, the weather returning to normal. Sofia reverted to her cat form and jumped into his arms, to his surprise, purring loudly and congratulating him on his success. Ruala giggled at that before creating the exit portal.
Time to return home.
Yeah there's probably lots of questions here. Ask away! I like talking ^^ Now he has one of the marks and can get a move on with becoming king. Enjoy!