Níðhöggr My Bones [Closed/Niji]

Freyleif was about to pass a street until something unusual happened. Well unusual as someone suddenly hugging her from nowhere and didn’t sense the person’s reiatsu or was really familiar with it. She tensed for a split second until the girl whispered into her ear to play along. Play along? Was she about to be mugged? Her thoughts were suddenly snapped out of when she wasn’t paying attention other than getting out of the crowds way.

“Eh!?” she let out a yelp as she was turned around by this bubbly pink-haired girl. Eyes squinted and quickly observed her for any weapons she would use to suddenly shank the unaware Quincy. “H-hi, nice to meet you?” unsure tone before her eyes widen as the pink haired girl leaned in and whispered to her. Confusion dotted her facial features but she dared not look around as told. She had no idea why she was listening to this person, maybe they were looking out for her own well-being? Someone actually cared she was being stalked? The young blonde nodded head a tiny bit and forced a smile. “Hey, long time no see! You feel like playing some Pokemon Go?”

She would just have to trust her instincts right now and trust this girl. The blonde Quincy leading the way through the streets side by side with the pink haired stranger. “So what have you been up to?” Freyleif continued to play along and tried not acting like a nervous wreck, and dared not to glance up either at the rooftops of the creature that was supposedly stalking her.

“Why do weird things have to happen to me?” she sighed inwardly. Trying her best to act along with a new personality than her depressive one she was in before. “Is this person out to kill me too?” she questioned her fylgja but no answer came, a lost cause to see into the future, she had to decide things on her own and path for now.

The Quincy lead the bubbly girl towards through the windy streets to the bridge connecting to the Karakura forest. Fewer people were out here and it was quiet. The hollow still stalked them even all the way here, pausing at the rooftops before slithering quickly under the bridge they crossed. Freyleif placed her hands into her green coat’s pockets and wondered when someone was going to leap out and ambush them - that thought was unveiled as she heard the growling sound of the hollow under the bridge. Ample time for her stranger friend to prepare an attack if she so wished.

432/500=932

    What is a Pokemon, and is that like the game of Go? I'll need to research that later  "Sure sounds like a blast, as for how I've been doing. Well let's just say that my time studying abroad really paid off. So what about you, we haven't seen each other in ... how long was it since you moved here?" Niji asked giving herself a playful bop on the head. Keeping the bubbly ditz routine up. Even as her body moved with the grace of a martial artist, and the poise of a hunter. As she strolled along with the new girl in carefully measured skips and bounces, her body relaxed and ready as they moved down the street. 

    All things considered, the night wasn't a bad one. She could sense several other Hollows far off in the distance, plenty of powerful humans, and a scattering of her fellow Shinigami about the town. The grey clouds like curtains draped across the sky. shielding the mortals beneath them from the sun's cruel glare. It was peaceful, in that it was oppressively glum and gave a promise of rain. Niji sighed happily at the thought of the upcoming hunt, even if she could feel the nervousness coming from the other person, "by the way, before things get hairy, what's your name? I feel like a dunderhead calling you 'You' all this time," Niji cringed at her lack of manners. Even if manners were secondary to her. 

    Leaning in she whispered as they neared the park, "Don't worry I've been tracking it, and you're doing fine. Just stay calm, and if you have any powers, now would be a good time to whip them out."  

    Niji felt the Hollow near them, and as the growl erupted so to did Niji burst into motion, Jumping up she lifted her left leg to her chest, and using Tōtatsu Kōgeki, projected the force of her kick towards the bridge shattering it as the salamander looking Hollow, scurried frantically Niji aimed her hands and cast Bakudo #4 Himawari, her kido binding it's limbs, "So ... let's hope it doesn't have any tricks hidden anywhere." 

    Niji reached up her left sleeve slipping out her dual Butterfly Sword Zanpakuto, as she stalked up to it, "It's time to have some fun," Niji purred with a grin on her face. A part of her sad that she couldn't drag this on for longer, but another part satisfied in a good catch.

___________________________

WC: 411 (957)

GP: 19

The bubbly girl asked more questions as they walked. “Uhm, it’s been a year I think or more. Ah, my name is Freyleif.” the Quincy replied in a whisper of her name. She looked up at the gray clouds wondering when it was going to rain as the sun was going down, almost six o'clock and rather humid.

Freyleif slowly eyed the pink haired girl as she leaned in to whisper as they neared the park, lifting a brow as she mentioned about ‘whipping out a power’ to defend herself. This girl must also be a spiritualist though she wondered why such a happy go lucky girl wanted to protect her, maybe she was part of the KSN? So many questions. Those questions would be answered soon enough as the salamander hollow interrupted them finally. Peering over, the young Quincy froze for a split second, a salamander hollow of all things to haunt her.

Niji was already off in battle mode but Freyleif took awhile to gather her bearings and steel her nerves. When she was younger, there was a hollow salamander that killed her mother until she learned later who it was. She was constantly filled with nightmares from that day so long ago, this was probably a cruel joke to rear its ugly head back up. The Quincy felt jealous this girl had some neat hakuda techniques up her game, pushing the hollow back with such a forceful looking kick before binding it with some spell. A bakudou! Not only that she took out some dual Zanpakuto from out of her sleeve.

The hollow screeched and struggled against the bind. It tried spitting out some molten looking lava balls enough to melt a patch on the bridge in its struggle.

“Come on Frey, your monsters are in the past.” the blonde Quincy tried to shake her fear away. She would have to not look so weak willed and scared in front of the shinigami, she could just be playing around just to catch Freyleif off guard. Perhaps a bit paranoid with the help, not many shinigami she ran into were that friendly or had some ulterior motives against the Quincy. Holding out her hand Freyleif gathered reishi to form her spirit weapon it shaped into a particular gunblade, roughly two and a half feet long makes it seem at first like a simple sword, made from reishi which glows a blue color. Upon further analysis, however, one would find a revolver chamber just above the hilt, a trigger on the bottom side of the grip, and a short barrel traveling across the top of the blade.

The young teen-aimed at the hollow pulling at the trigger as the chamber gathered reishi before blasting out a bullet into the beast’s mask, not killing it outright but enough to wound it enough so it wouldn’t try to run away while the shinigami dealt with it.

485/932=1417

    Niji was slowly closing in on the Salamander as it started spewing lava like balls onto the bridge when she saw the blast or reishi strike the Hollow's mask wounding it. A Quincy! This day just got interesting, I've never met one of her kind before. So many new things to learn, but first. Let's get this over with.

    Niji felt an excited shiver from the Hollow's pained screams as she ran the rest of the distance dispatching it with lunging strike. Her blades cleanly piercing through its neck. She watched it dissolve into spiritual energy as it's cleansed soul passed into Soul Society. Niji offered the same prayer of forgiveness for sending to place that wasn't yet paradise as she did to all souls she cleansed, even if some of them were in fewer pieces than when they met. 

    Niji pivoted to meet the Quincy as she quickly placed her blades back into their hidden sheath with practiced ease. She saw the sword that had fired the bolt of Reishi, "Don't worry, I'm not going to do any kind of attack, just changing into something a bit more comfortable is all," Niji said to Freylief, the bubbly, sing song tone she was using replaced with her usual calm and gentle tone she used when speaking normally. Her hands glowed with an aura of blue reishi as she ran it through her hair, returning it to a light lavender color, "Sorry for the deception, but I thought the pink hair and bubbly personality would raise fewer flags if that Hollow had any degree of intelligence to begin with.

    "As you probably guessed, I'm a Shinigami and I have no problems with Quincy, although it is interesting to finally meet one," Niji said pleasantly. As she reached Freyleif she offered a hand for a handshake. She knew most Shinigami and all Hollows didn't quite like Quincy's after all, they destroyed souls, and that was worrying. But Niji didn't necessarily care about that at the moment. There was so much she could learn, and so many skills she could pick up, to care about such frivolous details like that when there were things to learn.

    "Do you know any place that's good for food around here? I kind of missed dinner earlier. Perhaps we could talk, and maybe even help one another?" Niji asked, her face splitting into a pleasant smile, which had a much different feel now that the situation was dealt with. 

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WC: 412 (1369)



GP: 27

Freyleif was suspicious of the shinigami, she lowered her gunblade after wounding the beast and watched the pink-haired shinigami do the ‘purifying blow’. It was interesting how they fought with weapons and their energy cleansing the undead. The blonde Quincy stayed silent as she watched the bubbly girl speak and did something with her seidr and made her hair lavender, a rather amusing natural hair color she thought.

Her hands rested on the end of her hilt as the weapon was face down like a cane, not really leaning on it but keeping it there in case there was funny business and she had to defend herself.

“Name?” she asked simply, eying the offered hand and sighed before moving out her left hand to shake the girl’s shortly.

His shinigami was just too ‘happy’ in her books, quite surprising and making her wonder if the dead liked being, well, spirits. It wasn’t often she met such high-spirited ghosts around most of them were just depressed or telling her she shouldn’t kill hollows or they would come down and hunt her. It grinded her gears to be told what to do by the dead when the Quincy just wanted to defend herself.

“Yeah, sure, I know a place,” she replied. “Help one another?” that was an odd thing to hear coming from a reaper of all things. Letting the spirit weapon break away in particles, the Quincy lead the way back in town first eying the small damage on the bridge but shrugged and moved on. She didn’t know how to reconstruct Kishi yet without her reishi messing up so it was left up to the authorities or shinigami to fix.

“Should I trust this girl?” she wondered as they walked a different street Freyleif was familiar with. Her year time in the town she was able to finally remember some places to get around, and thanks to herself learning of the Quincy fast movement Hirenkyaku she was able to get home without worry on foot.

They came to a nice quiet little cafe away from the hubbub of the central town. It was one of Freyleif’s favorite places to go to whenever she wanted to be alone to eat and the owner was quite nice and knew her foods and drinks. Taking a seat outside with nice overhang, Freyleif gestured Niji over to join her. A waitress soon coming out to take their order. Upon seeing Freyleif, the girl knew she wanted lemonade and glanced to Niji next to take her order.

“So, what did you mean by helping out?” Freyleif asked relaxing back on the wrought chair. Green eyes focused on the silly-haired shinigami curiously.

446/1417=1863

    Niji when asked her name, would smile warmly, giving a short, respectful bow, "My name is still Niji, it was merely the persona and hair color that were fake." 

    She knew that was possibly the worst way to meet another, giving them false pretenses at first contact. But it was to keep the person and innocent bystanders safe, hopefully Freyleif would see it that way, rather than a reason to be constantly on guard around her. It was one of the downsides of giving necessary lies, even when given to keep another safe, it still sometimes painted the rest of conversations in a shadow till trust could be built. Made even harder with some, compared to others, depending on the person. Or in this Quincy's case her take on Shinigami, as well as her general disposition. Well I made my bed, now I have to lay in it. Hopefully things go more smoothly shortly. It'd suck for things to end just as they were getting good.

    She sensed a large amount of emotions coming from the Quincy after her hand was shook. Confusion, peevishness, and like she expected a wariness. Still Niji let Freyleif take the lead, in stifling silence, waiting to be filled. But with the emotions playing across Freylief's aura she decided that it would be safer for her to start the conversation. From the look of things, a lot was on her mind and it was probably let Freyleif get her bearings before striking up a conversation. Soon enough Niji got the verbal opening as she walked into the diner. 

    Niji burrowed in her pockets cursing the fact that she forgot to bring her Duffel bag, finding a roll of money, looking over the menu she practically drooled as she squeed at the selection. She had never been to a Kissaten before, and their selection of food wasn't that bad. Niji felt a flush overcome her face at the prospect of eating something prepared in a more modern fashion rather than the cooking stuck in the eighteen hundreds in some parts of Soul Society. 

    Looking up she'd have seen that the waitress was still waiting for an order, "Wahhh~! Sorry, sorry! Was tempted to buy everything. I guess I'll start with five orders of grilled cheese and soup, an order of spaghetti, six orders of gyoza, and Tai Tea. You don't need to bring it out all at once, just keep it coming please," Niji said with a deep blush at holding everything up while she was salivating over the menu. Let's see that came out to about 12,000 yes ... yes! I have just enough to buy my food, and still get me something nice while over here. But gah! What a selection! 

    That's when she heard Freylief say something, only catching the end of it, "I didn't get all that, was kind of busy thinking about food," Niji replied as her stomach let out a terrifying roar that echoed off the walls of the Kissaten drawing eyes towards her from around the restaurant. Blushing furiously, she wiggled down into her seat, her body disappearing in the baggy clothes of solitude, she added with a whimper "I'm hungry."    

    She remembered something about how they could help each other out, "Oh! But I did get something about how we can help each other out. Well there are a few things, but some of it will need to wait for the Spaghetti Talk. It'll make something make more sense, and will probably answer why so many Shini and Hollow are so anal about your innate, inalienable right to defend yourself from harm. Which isn't really the case but well, Spaghetti Talk. 

    "That and I'm interested in learning Reishi Manipulation, well quite honestly using Reishi Manipulation to better my Kido, learn how it works on souls personally, and try someday to make things mixing Shinigami Technology and Quincy Technology to better both of our people. After all with some Shini tech, I'm sure you Quincy could take out Hollows more efficiently, or even better your personal lives. Without having to risk as much as you do ... as for what I can offer in return for learning the Quincy Ways? Well ... what can I offer? Other than a potential Shinigami Friend, who will try protecting you when I'm near by. If you want to that is?"

    Niji would listen to what she had to say as the food was getting prepared. 

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WC: 740 (2109)

GP: 42

Freyleif watched the shinigami stare at the menu while the waitress waited. Completely missed her question too it seemed. The girl deducts Niji had never been here before to try a meal, the dead missed out on a lot of things as they were ancient beings and time flowed differently in their realm. Niji let out a roaring rumble fro her stomach indicating she was indeed super hungry, she gave a small smile and just waited till she calmed down.

Freyleif quietly glanced around until Niji started talking again, eyes trailing back to her with a raise of a brow. The girl wanted to make something to help Quincy Niji wasn’t clear on what that was and Frey just looked even more confused. The shinigami jumped right in wanting to learn how to manipulate reishi to better her kidou and help with Quincy technology. She was starting to narrow down the ‘help’ Quincy bit; the destruction of souls the shinigami were so anal about.

“Getting right into wanting to learn our abilities, hmm?” she replied after a moment of pause and sighed disappointedly. “On one condition: you have to fight me if you want to learn that. I want to see if you’re serious about learning our ways and not going to use it against us.” she picked up her glass of lemonade having a sip before continuing. “As for friends, again how can I know I can trust you?” she leaned back in her chair awaiting Niji’s answers. It wasn’t often a shinigami was so interested in her, she still held a bit prejudiced against spirits and hated those who dictated their law upon the Quincy. After all, they were the ones that slaughtered her kin thousands of years ago from what she heard from her grandfather and the texts she had read.

304/1863=2167

    Niji learned what Frey had to say, and replied, "I love learning new things, and most of the Shinigami's view on Quincies is mostly out of fear and ignorance. I mean sure they've slaughtered their own kind too, as well as Plusses, if it meant maintaining balance. While this would be better explained with the Spaghetti lets just say this. The spiritual world that your plane is in the middle of, is delicate and requires the spiritual force of souls transversing it  to keep pressure allowing each of the planes separate. 

    "Quincy's destroying souls, means there's one less soul to keep that equilibrium, and the second things get too far out of balance the system would fall. Now this would have one of three outcomes. One with the collapse of the system, the mechanics separating our spiritual world from the physical collapses and every Vasto Lordes, Adjuchas, low level Hollow and Arrancar. Would over run the earth, and all non-Hollow breeds would likewise be trapped on earth. 

    "If you think Karakura Town had it bad with just a very, very, very small force. Think of what'd happen when the world floods over with millions of the monsters. And with no where for new Hollows to go, that number only increases. Second, is that everything crashes into oblivion. No earth, no Soul Society, no Hueco Mundo. Nothing. Now the third outcome is that the system would correct itself before then, and in doing so would annihilate almost all life and souls if left to carry on," Niji lectured respectfully. Sipping on her own drink while waiting for the food began again.

    "Now I said all of that to paint a picture on why Shinigami are anal about it, because quite literally, everytime that balance gets threatened too much, very bad things happen. But again, Shini never tried to really learn from you Quincy's or find ways to help you protect yourselves without endangering everything in the universe. Something that if I were to learn, I could help without being all 'Rawr! Stop defending yourselves,'" Niji said," But yes. I'd like to not be ignorant of things, and learn. Rather than sit on a high horse and judge. 

    "After all, nothing good comes from acting out of fear and ignorance. As for fighting you? Sure, although I might need to teach you how to sense spiritual energy one of these days. Since well ... I can tell you outstrip me in terms of power, but still it'd be a good way for me to grow my skills as a martial artist. As for trusting me? Well, while I did open up our first interaction with deception aimed at keeping you and those around us safe from a Hollow. It still was a lie, so I guess I'll have to work on building that trust now won't I?" Niji said with a smile, before her stomach started growling at her, "after lunch though. I think my stomach's cross enough at me as it is."

______________________

WC: 501 (2610)

GP: 52














________________________

“Has the balance ever been unstable before that it required a new reset?” Freyleif asked curiously while taking a sip and listening to Niji’s story about the balance.This girl was much more detailed than the ones Freyleif met and very calm than the pushers and complainers. She was a bit surprised that the shinigami had money to order her own food, how mysterious. She always though the shinigami didn’t care for human pleasantries or getting currency, then again they needed to eat and blend in.

“I see, yes Karakura is just a small part compared to what could happen if more of them spilled over,” she paused a moment taking another sip from her lemonade. “Hmm, well you are serious, not to be rude or anything. Your heart is in the right place in wanting to help the Quincy.” perhaps this shinigami could prove her wrong on her view on them or maybe her nativity will prove her wrong.

The young blonde tapped her finger on the table as she thought a bit more then nodded. “We can fight once you’re done eating and restored.” Freyleif watched Niji carefully, indeed the Quincy couldn’t sense very well and she felt embarrassed that the shinigami pointed that out. She hid that quickly and gave a smile as she waited until Niji was full on food sustenance. Herself not really having ordered anything and just sipped her lemonade slowly while waiting. She checked her sleeves making sure they covered her scarification , tugging them by the hem and made sure she was presentable. Not wanting to show how many scars or the runes she had underneath that delicate frame of her’s.

278/2167=2445

The Quincy absorbed more of the information Niji had laid out. Never missing a word even when the place was getting busy with people coming and going. Bubbly kids tugging on their parents for their favorite snacks. Worn workers coming to get themselves a refreshing drink and chatting with their friends. It was a good idea Freyleif chose a far off seat outside where the two could talk about the strange theoretical phenomenals about the imbalance and a little history lesson. There were more places to explore in the world Freyleif wanted to learn of those of the Hoia Baciu Forest in Romania, the Bermuda Triangle, and the strange pipes in China. The girl’s eyes lit up at the mention of these places. Perhaps there would be more artifacts for her hands to get on. Even this underwater city sounded fun to peek in.

“I suppose Quincy did not want to listen or the Shinigami did not provide enough information,” she finally began. “Perhaps it’s all a conspiracy order to draw in fear of the mortal realm.” she said sadly. Shaking her head, Freyleif let the pretty girl eat and enjoy herself than trying to argue more points about the balance. It was best to try and learn as she was still young herself and not so hot-headed to cause a fight. She looked at her empty cup, how ironic she felt in that sense of emptiness and pessimism overwhelming her. The young blonde teen hadn’t been feeling well lately. Fights with her boyfriend when she just wanted to spend time with him. Melody never answering her or ran off again from home. The only person ever there for her was Angeni when she needed her but she didn't want to be a burden to her either even if the Quincy got into a trouble a lot.

Freyleif’s attention went back to Niji and spoke, “Yes, we can go to the forest.” she waited until the shinigami was full and stood up to lead the way. Freyleif using hirenkyaku to leap up onto rooftops of low buildings letting the wind whip her long locks hair back. She hoped the shinigami could keep up with her as she zigzagged to each building.


Finally, they reached the edge entrance of the forest. She waited until people cleared the bridge before leaping down and running across with inhuman speed across. A trail of dust billowing up as she took a thin dirt road into a clearing where they could spar. Far from affecting people from their spiritual pressure.

“Alright, Niji, if you can defeat me I’ll teach you ways of how we use reishi. All I ask is that you pay respects to nature.” Freyleif said seriously before taking out her Nordic cross hidden under her shirt hanging on a silver chain necklace. The young girl got on one knee with head bowed in prayer and hands clenched around her mother's cross.

“Hear me O’ Odin,ancestors, and spirits of the land. We are gathered here to form a pact of truce in this battleground and we give witness to the events today gathered here. You are the eyes, ears, and judges that no Blót will be used against malice.” Freyleif uttered in Icelandic before gathering reishi into a thin sharp glass, reaching out to take it and cut along her palm causing her to wince as blood drawn out from her left palm. She turned it over some and let the blood touch the ground, watching the liquid spread out in a tiny pentagram in her ritual.

“There,” she stood up and dropped the glass as it broke into particles. “Now that we have an agreement, let us commence this battle. Don’t hold back. And all I ask is not deliver the final blow and neither will I.” she pulled up her sleeves one by one getting some blood on it but not seeming to be bothered. Revealing the scarification all along her arms in Norse runes as they glowed a dark blue channeling life essence from her body’s own reiryoku. She summoned a different type of weapon in her hands; a ceremonial two handed axe before shifting into battle feet into a battle stance. “Come at me.” she grinned.


708/2445=3153

“Blót means sacrifice,” Freyleif corrected with the correct affix. “My oath simply means this battle won’t be a death for me to sacrifice to the Gods or ancestors. It’s a cultural thing of my kin, don’t worry about it. It is also used in celebrations in modern use in Scandinavian.”

The shinigami also made her own oath, Freyleif smiled as Niji had a bit of trouble in Icelandic but as long as the oath was not of evil deeds everything would be fine. She accepted the healing so they wouldn’t bleed to death.

“You can use kaido if you wish. If you rather keep some things a secret I won’t mind.” she replied with a nod to use whatever the shinigami deemed necessary to win.

Freyleif gripped her hands around the axe waiting for the first move to be taken by Niji. Keeping to her honor traditions in the spar to let the other go first. Freyleif was curious just how good of a fighter this woman was, she had fought one shinigami before and it turned out to be fun and informative that some reapers could keep their word.


Niji started with some smoke spell first. Freyleif narrowed her eyes and peered around trying to sense the shinigami, she came from the late and Freyleif was too slow to block in time of the spinning roundhouse kick causing her to tumble and grunt in pain. “Dammit.” she mutter in Icelandic. She quickly spun around to block the powerful hammerfist blow coming down on her with her axe. Pushing Niji away, Freyleif pulled out a silver tube from her denim jeans and began incanting. “Der nördliche Wache fällt. Mach dich bereit und bereite den Krieg.” the reiatsu inside the tube started to stir and she flicked it towards Niji. “Silber Explosions” with the command said, the tube exploded into many of silver shrapnel shards They didn’t seem to do anything other than stick into things (painfully) if applied. It looked like some delayed spell that caused no harm for now.

Freyleif then charged towards Niji before flickering halfway and appearing behind her delivering a slash of her weapon but not connecting the feint hit before disappearing again and showing up to her left to arc her net attack vertically.


382/3153=3535

//OOC Spell:

    Niji was torn between being amused at the Quincy's shrapnel spell and annoyed at how much it smarted. But she took it in stride, thankfully the baggy clothing absorbed the blow to her vitals, although her exposed arms, and face had a few bits of metal stuck to it. Well played. Well played indeed. 

    Niji was glad that for all the advantages the Quincy held over her, that she couldn't sense spiritual energy, that Niji believed was going to be advantageous in this fight. As well as the move she used earlier, Tōtatsu Kōgeki, was a great technique as long as one had a linear target that didn't move around much. Being that it relied, much like the technique that inspired it Oni Dekopin, on a fast powerful blow, to deliver the strike at range. The two biggest drawbacks though, being that it both only worked for linear strikes that needed to be lined up, and it took time depending on the distance between targets to hit. If it hit at all. 

    Niji read through the feint, sensing the lack of intent. Decided to give some distance. Niji did a quick pivot using the momentum of the turn to try and deliver Tōtatsu Kōgeki right to Frey's chest. Using a jump kick like Frey saw her do at the bridge to follow it up to bridge some distance between them. Niji would hop from one foot to the others and reply with a mischevious grin, "You have some interesting moves, although you might want to do slightly more circular motions with that axe, let it build momentum instead of raw force."

     Niji would spot her swords to the side and would shake her head to herself. She was here to have fun, and it was hard not to deliver lethal blows to mortals when armed with a weapon. She'd just have to be weapon enough. That and it'd make the game more fun. 

___________________________________________

WC: 327 (4129)

GP: 83

The young Quincy felt satisfaction as the shards managed to lodge into the shinigami. They both didn’t know each other's fighting tactics which made it all the much more fun and dangerous to one another. Freyleif was beginning the countdown in her head wondering when the shards would explode.

“If you want to grow stronger, you must believe that you are.” the voice of her wolf fylgja chimed in softly, his offered advice distracted her as he spoke directly to her only. Her lack of concentration would be her downfall. Eyes glancing to the left after her swing failed to connect to Niji and frowned.


“Stop speaking at random moments, it makes me tense!” she yelled inwardly. Freyleif had no idea what the wolf was going on about, grow stronger in believing? She didn’t think she was that good in fighting alone as she had so many weaknesses her foes could exploit. Those pessimistic thoughts would be her downfall, as the more she doubted herself the more she didn’t push her limit of her birthright.

Wham!

In the distracted thoughts, Niji managed to land a blow into the blonde Quincy causing her to stumble back and fall on her rear. Tch, how embarrassing. “If you didn’t suddenly speak like some creeper, I would have had this!” she chided mentally again and pushed herself up and reposition in a defensive stance. Gripping her ax with both hands and eyes focused on Niji’s next move.


“You don’t know how to wield an ax, pup.” the fylgja noted simply.

Again Freyleif ignored the voices and concentrated on the battle at hand. She took a step forward only to pause as the shards started exploded one by one. About time, she thought. She waited until the smoke cleared before moving forward once more in a flicker and circling around Niji in momentum. She gathered a large sum of reishi into her ax causing the head of the blade to enlarge and give it a sharpen keen. Once she exerted enough energy, the girl swung the ax overhead throwing hundreds of projectile versions of bladed ax heads swirling around like a tornado guided by her control of invisible threads of reishi attached to the mini blades and redirecting their paths. She curved them around and around until Niji was surrounded in the field of whirlwind blades - would she be able to defend herself?


398/3535=3933

Technique:

Adrenaline rushed through the Quincy’s blood. The ever satisfaction of putting all her strength in her techniques to win this spar. Perhaps taking this too seriously in a sense. She watched the shinigami get blown by the shards, halting in her steps as she stringed around the invisible threads to the blades. Niji was pleading for her to halt while she healed, the strange use of kaido magic they called it in their language.

Remembering her promise to their deal, Freyleif served the technique to destroy some trees in its swirling radius. It took a lot of effort to divert her energy away from the shinigami and she panted and forced the technique to disperse afterwards without causing more damage to the area and make it look deforested. A drop of beady sweat dripped off her forehead, feeling exhausted already from that wasteful energy. She coughed until the dust and debris cleared away to allow vision around her.

She knew healing took time to mend wounds and perhaps she felt some empathy for the shinigami even if she disliked a few of them. They still tried to act human or a sense of humanity in them to care about the living than their sense of duty.

Freyleif said nothing while the shinigami healed herself. She looked over at the broken trees with a sigh knowing that she would probably get in trouble with Angie later for recklessly harming nature. The Quincy lowered her ax and it started crumbling away into particles as she let it go before summoning her real weapon; her gunblade, ripping the slight curve handled and walked a few paces away from Niji to allow some distance before turning around to face the shinigami in a battle stance once more.


“Are you ready?” she finally said. “I won’t be mad if you want to stop here.”

309/3933=4242