Soundtrack of Choice: Hollowed 2022 B type
Within the halls of Tataturas. Bazz-B and Ichigo continue to fight in a furious clash. Their blows either cut apart pillars around them, cratering and carving up crevices within the floor beneath them, or melting them into sludge and forming molten pools of lava across it.
Yet despite the sheer devastation that was wrought, the fight was at a standstill. Ichigo mainly defended himself with his blunt vene and two zanpakuto and Bazz-B trying desperately to overwhelm Ichigo with his newly formed blue flames to no avail to the point of exhaustion.
'Bazzard please stand down...' Ichigo tried to reason with Quincy. 'Whatever goals you have with my power or you being the soul king can be discussed without fighting each other. Because if you keep dragging this on...' he then grips his two zanpakuto hard. 'I won't be able to hold back against you anymore'
Bazz-B then gave a strain and tired smirked. 'Hold back, so you are actually afraid killing me!?' He mocked. 'Didn't know you had such a soft heart'
Ichigo then frowns. 'And the same thing can be said for you'
Sternritter then narrowed his eyes in confusion by the comment.
'When I crossed swords with your flames, I could tell that you don't want to fight me or take my power for yourself...but rather someone else likely your father is forcing you to do this'
Bazzard then growled. 'What the hell do you know!?' He then formed two full burning fingers in both of his hands. 'You don't know what it is like to have an entire family's honor thrust upon your shoulders!' He then launched the twin swirling torrents of fire at Ichigo who charged up his larger blade with his Spiritual power and unleashed an unspoken Gestugua Tenshou at double blasts of twisting flames. Canceling them out in a huge explosion that left a huge burning crater in the ground between the two combatments.
'I may not know about family honor in that sense...' Ichigo admitted. 'But I know what it is like to have pride in one's duty and to have the resolve to carry it through' He stared directly into Bazzard's eyes. 'And you have no pride or resolve in any of your actions...just fear and regret'
Bazz-B then bared his teeth in frustration and began to shake his fists. 'Don't make me repeat myself...' His spiritual pressure then began to rise once more. 'You know...NOTHING!'
Sountrack of Choice: Away From Final Fantasy 16
He screamed out as more flames burst out of his body and burned several times brighter. To the point that they changed from a blue flare to that of a violet plasma, increasing the temperature around the Quincy over thirty-nine thousand degrees. Which was hot enough not just melt the floor and pillars, but also the hanging chains above.
Yet even then Bazzard was not finished with his new transformation, as the violet plasma then melded with his short pink hair and formed a flaming Mohawk, along with great crooked wings that stretched out of his back, claws that engulfed his hands and talons along his feet.
To Ichigo, he hasn't felt fire burn so hot since witnessing those of Ryujin Jakka and even now he knows that if he didn't have his blunt Vene activated now. His entire body would been roasted alive just by being near Bazz-B at this point.
But worst of all he could also sense that the man's Spiritual power was growing increasingly unstable in that form of his and if this fight doesn't end soon...one of them is not going to make it out of here alive.
Then without our warning, the demonic flaming winged Sternritter launched himself at Ichigo at horrific speed as he sliced his fire claws at Ichigo's two zanpakuto and to the latter's shock he saw that flames were beginning to metal through the metal of the blades even when they were reinforced with his blunt vene!
In desperation, Ichigo channeled all of his power into his larger blade and shouted out a full-powered Gestugua Tenshou that pushed Bazzard back. Yet the empowered Quincy quickly diverted the huge wave of energy aside and used a flying step to attack the Shingmai behind with a swipe from his flaming talon feet, forcing the latter to quickly turn around to block it.
Only for the teen fighter to find out that the blow had enough force to push him back a dozen feet across the floor and before he could get his baring Bazzard blitz right above him, drew in a deep breath and roared out a tremendous eruption of violate flames from his mouth that hit Ichigo dead on and unleashed an explosion so powerful that if the light up the entire prison and shock it to its core.
Soundtrack of choice: Mattia Turzo - Floris Folium
Meanwhile during Keigo's fight with Hubert. The former was busy dodging the man's devastating visible sound waves. Which has resulted in most of the district being leveled to the ground.
Even when The Vanguard tried to defend himself by breaking the rule of sound. The former Sternritter immediately countered by launching another shockwave that reestablished that rule and even more troublesome was the fact that the longer Hubert played the more powerful his attacks became and harder to avoid.
'Now you see the futility of challenging me human!?' Hubert mocked while continuing to play his violin and sending off more sound waves to strike at Keigo who continued to dodge them. 'With the empowerment of my Schrift, you are completely helpless before me and soon you won't even be able to evade me!'
Keigo then smirked. 'You want to bet?' He quips and then uses his full brain to break the rule of space and time to appear right next to Hubert's right side.
But as soon as the Vanguard latched his fist at his enemy it was then blocked by a barrier of sound which absorbed the kinetic force of his blow and redirected it right back at the teen. Sending him flying off the rooftop and crashing back harshly into the street below
Hubert then smirked. 'I will admit human I didn't expect that your fullbringer could teleport you to such a distance. But you are a fool if thought you could defeat me so easily!' He then gestured his hand and revealed the symbolic note patterns of the sound waves that surrounded him. 'After all the soundscape enables me to manipulate sound into any form that I desire or in this case a united form of offensive and defense' He then grinned menacingly as Kegio struggled to get up from the ground due to his arms face getting badly bruised. 'Which is beyond what your lowly fullbring could ever do!
Keigo then looked at Hurbert and then let out a tired breath. 'Well as much as I hate to admit you are right' he agreed while lifting his hands. 'My rein of chaos is a fullbring mainly built to attack people by literally breaking the laws of physics on or around them. But with that ability yours simply doing that an't gonna cut it' He then focused his gaze on Quincy and his Spiritual power then began to rise. 'Which just means that I have to get a bit more creative...'
The vanguard then pressed his hands together as the currents of air swirled around his hands and as he stretched them out they all condensed together into a transparent staff which he then grabbed hold of and twirled around.
However, Hubert remains unimpressed.
'You think that mere staff of yours can defeat me when your fullbring could not!?' He shouted while rapidly playing several notes and began charging a larger and more powerful sound wave at Keigo. 'Your desperation must have already pushed you over into the edges of delusion!' He laughed as he then launched the charged sound wave and lunged at his enemy.
Soundtrack of Choice: Colgera Boss battle theme
But his laughter turned into stunned silence when Asano swung his staff and unleashed a massive gust of wind that collided with the sound waves and proceeded to push them right back at Hubert! Who was so stunned by the act that could barely react when the reflected attack tore through his sound barrier and sent him flying off the roof of the building.
A second later he appeared behind Keigo his right arm limping and dripping with blood while staring at him in rage and though he would never admit it...fearfor the very human he once looked down upon.
'You...' Hubert said distastefully. 'How were you able to manipulate the wind like that?' He questions while gripping his arm to make the bleeding stop.
Keigo then grinned slyly at him. 'It is nothing more than the basic soul manipulation technique that all Fullbrigers possess only more properly refined' He explained, but Hubert growled at the answer.
'Don't take me for an idiot you mongrel!' He snapped. 'There is no way that a fullbringer like you could launch an attack like that with soul manipulation alone, you must have another trick up your sleeve!'
The vanguard then eyed his opponent sternly. 'Really?' He said and then swirled his staff around and summoned another gust of wind that surrounded both him and Hubert. 'Why don't you use that refined Spiritual sense of yours to analyze my ability and tell me exactly what it is then?'
Hubert thinking he was being mocked decided to take on Keigo's challenge and indeed analyze his Spiritual pressure...and his jaw dropped when he realized to his utter astonishment the teen was telling the truth. He felt Keigo's Spiritual power controlling the souls of the air molecules to create the gust of wind around him along with the staff in his hands. Much to his astonishment.
'But how?' He continued to question in denial. 'No fullbringer has-'
'As I have said before Hubert...' Keigo interrupted him. 'All fullbringers can do this when they know how to. They have been doing this kind of stuff since the dawn of human history and has gone on by many names' He then walked up to the Quincy. 'Magic, sorcery, witchcraft, but the one that stood out the most was...' He then twirled his staff again and the winds around him surged into that of a tornado that merged with the clouds and caused lighting and thunder to crack from above. Then when the Vanguard pointed his staff at his foe. Earth and water began forming along the edge of the weapon and transforming it into a spear. 'The Black Arts'
Hubert grinds his teeth in fear and frustration at the fact that this human hasn't even fully grown into a man. Was overwhelming him with just his supposedly basic abilities. Even when he was empowered by strength that made him stronger than virtually any other Sternritter in the Holy Kingdom!
It was an Abhorrent that stoood against everything that he was taught, believed in, and stood for.
And thus such an abhorrent...needs to be stamped out.
'Don't think...' The Quincy spatted in desperation and hate. 'That you have beaten me just because of some meager parlor tricks!' He then began to reform his violin on his right shoulder while using Ransōtengai to forcibly move his arm. 'I am Hurbert Lehmann, descendant of the original twenty-six Sternritters led by the first Quincy king!' He then raised his Spiritual pressure once more. 'My legacy is as absolute as the history of soul society, my blood is the next purest thing to god himself and I refused to be humbled, desecrated, and humiliated by a disgusting, ignorant human like you!'
He then readied his violin to play one more song.
'NOW DIE!'
Hubert cried out at the top of his lungs, yet just as he was about to play a single tone...
Soundtrack of Choice: On the precipice - orchestra 2022
The black spiritual power that engulfed his body dissipated. While his own rapidly began to drop. Petrifying The Quincy with far greater terror than ever before.
'No...' he whispered as his voice began to crack. 'NOOOOO!' He cried out In hysteria which Keigo looked on disturbed. 'I couldn't have used all that power during this entire fight, I couldn't!' He then began to hyperventilate and looked up to the sky as a hopeful pleading smile crept on his face.
'Please my lord...' Hubert cried out 'You can surely give me more power right?' He begged as tears and snot fell from his face. 'If you do I promise I will finish this human off for sure' He then began to stutter. 'After all, that is what you have promised me...right?' He heard silence from his intercom and his smile began to fall. '...right?' He whispered pitifully as he is heart began to flutter.
Then in the next moment, a blue fire beam erupted from Hubert's chest, much to his and Keigo's horror, and shook. He then turns to look at the human he once despised and reaches out his hand as if he were about to plead for help. But before Asano could even try, the fire expanded from Hubert's chest and engulfed his entire body. Vaporizing him into ashes from the inside out.
Back below in the dungeons of Tartarus. Ichigo now below a molted out a five hundred foot long hole in the earth. Breathed heavily as he held out his two zanpakuto which glowed brightly with heat, while still maintaining their form. Yet his arms were covered in second-degree burns.
'Damn...' Ichigo thought. 'It took me using my blunt vene and my air shield just to defend myself against that attack and if he were to unleash another I might have to go full hollow just to do it a second time' He then lowered his blades. 'Still, he doesn't seem to be pressing his attack so maybe I can-!'
Ichigo then stopped his line of thought as he immediately sensed Bazzards Spiritual pressure from above and felt how unstable it had gotten.
Concern for his enemy the shingimai quickly raced up to the surface…and what he saw nearly broke his heart.
For Bazz-B the once furious violate flamming Avian that nearly fired him to death. Was on the ground coughing up black condensed Spiritual energy like blood from his mouth and barely moving his head to face Ichigo.
'Damn...it' He cursed at himself. 'I should have been able to handle this level of power if it meant taking you down, so why...why is my body reacting like this!?'
Ichigo then gave a pitiful look at Bazz-B and knew exactly what was happening to him and luckily for Quincy he knew what to do to help him.
The flaming man then looked confused when the aged teen who once fought against him placed his right hand on his shoulder and quickly absorbed all the power that radiated from his body. He Then formed a holy bow that channeled that power into an arrow that glowed a bright violet before shooting it across the chamber. Which then exploded far out of sight.
'I was able to channel out most of that Spiritual energy that was ravaging your body so you should be back to normal soon' Ichigo explains reassuringly, but Bazz-B at him as if he were mad.
'Why the hell would you save me, when I nearly tried to kill you, you idiot!?' He argued in anger. 'If you had just finished me off then you wouldn't still get caught up in this mess!'
Ichigo then frowns at the Bazz-B. 'The last time I checked you were the one who dragged me into this mess to begin with...and never wanted to either'
The Quincy then looked away from Ichigo in shame and the latter sighed in annoyance and after a moment of silence his expression softened.
'Look...' Ichigo spoke out and stood up above Bazz-B. 'You are right that I don't know exactly what you go through due to your family's honor...' He let out a deep breath. 'And I rather not even guess what it is about' Ichigo then stared at Bazzard and then lifted his right to the troubled man. 'But we don't need to fight to work it out together'
Bazz-B looked up at Ichigo and then to himself who was badly burnt by the power given to him and then with a smile he reached out his hand and shook Ichigo's.
Only for that smile to instantly fade.
'I'm sorry...'
Then before Ichigo could react a sharp Silver needle shot from under Bazz-B's sleeve and pierced through the Shinogmai's right arm. Which then caused all the veins within the aged teen's body to pulse and disrupt his Spiritual power. Leaving him vulnerable to a gut punch by the Quincy that was strong enough to make Ichigo puke out salvia and knock him out before he fell to the floor unconscious.
