Bleach Hereafter RPG

Itsuki's heated barrier crashed into the shallow sea, fractured and frayed, barely a flickering existence. Something hot ran down his hip, the monk daring not look even if his adrenaline had allowed him. Bubbles littered the water about him as he pressed forward from the sphere of heat enclosing him.
    Overhead the sound of Hibano's wrath followed, the dragon's shriek of agony signalling success. The spiritually dense scales practically leapt away from the dragon's flesh around the injury once pierced. The thick, sparking bristles that ran the length of the dragon's spine and fanned about the tail swayed violently, light fading as the dragon's body quaked and spasmed in agony. The flesh beneath proved plenty soft to the bite of a naked blade, offering nearly no resistance as the sword sunk clean through it and into the stone beneath.
    Instinct turned the dragonlord this way and that, shudders of pain following as gushes and gouts of steaming hot blood flowed freely from the wound being torn. Zennyo Ryuo's third claw grasped the spiral about the swelling light atop the spear planted in the ground, an anchoring point from which it began to turn.
    The monk sprinted up the fading fragments of his guard and leapt from the chest-height remains with all the force he could muster. Threads forming the barrier came undone, flowing along the reach of his fingertips and wrapping about the lord kami's face and neck. Splash! Went Itsuki back into the water.
Crouched low with the weight of the squirming serpent struggling against the supernatural binds another ritual chant left his lips. Those strands of black fire binding it crawled down over his strained fingers, coiling around his wrists before forcing their way beneath flesh. Weaving in and out of skin in accordance with the rite the threads stitched a depiction of the heads of some multi-headed hydra down along his arms, heads all facing up along his wrists in defiance of the rain god.
    Zennyo Ryuo hiss-screeched their distaste, tugging hard against their captors.
    Itsuki grit his teeth, rolling the prayer over in his mind with a hard yank back down towards the ground drawing the god to bow their head. Deeper, the depiction weaved, burning bright beneath the white of his robes without harm to them as the necks of the creatures were rendered up beyond his elbows, inching over his shoulders.
    Gasping for breath, it was becoming clear that this fool of a young adult was not only in over his head but approaching a dangerous limit. The dragon's own reiatsu dimmed mildly, the restraining threads slowly feeding their master with the stolen energies.
Between his arms floated the ring of prayer beads, separated from their bonds. Squinting against the aching exertion of attempting to hold down a rain dragon, realisation began to dawn on Itsuki.
    "The spear!" He cried out, closing bloodied hands around the threads and pulling with what might he had left to give.
    The dragon's back jolted in surprise between the pain of its tail and the web of black flames about its head, second claw now gripping the spear. Though broken and swollen with energy the jagged point of the open top rose threateningly close to the paler and potentially softer underbelly of the irked deity.
    Unable to pull harder and unable to let go without endangering the partner-of-the-moment, Itsuki barked out a command, two molten beads bursting with the sound of a taiko yet again. Shocking white electricity ran along the restraints to zap the bowed lord. Admittedly, it did little more than scorch the scales where the threads touched, Itsuki again hoping it would be enough to prevent disaster.

From an outside perspective, Hibano's pin on the dragon's tail might appear like an incredible success. He pierced through the appendage with ease and got the creature to twist and contort in the agony, while blood flowed freely from the wound, to a nauseating degree. Itsuki took advantage of the opening granted by the other Fullbringer as well, summoning a barrage of energy threads that wrapped around the dragon and restricted it. The creature was now held in place, though with considerable effort from both of the Fullbringers.

Issue was... now Hibano did not have a weapon. If he pulled his Asauchi out of the dragon's tail, it would be able to freely move it again, and that would surely mean him and Itsuki getting swatted away before they could do anything else.

That was not going to dissuade him. Hearing Itsuki's call to action, he ran up the dragon's tail and back, leaving the sword behind and dodging past bolts of electricity still trailing along the body of the ruler of storms. Right as he reached the creature's face, he suddenly pushed himself back with a double kick to the jaw, flying across the sky and grabbing a hold of its arm, the same one that was holding onto the lightning spear.

Touching the spear itself would surely spell disaster - Hibano was durable, but he wasn't dying to test how well he could endure deadly amounts of electric current. The arm, on the other hand, was easier pickings.

"...Now eat it! Eat it whole!" he yelled out, frustrated, while trying to navigate the dragon's arm to stab itself in the head with the spear.

A reverberating roar rumbled the very air, the scaled lord of the sky arching his back and trying to yank away in answer to each powerful tug of their dual captors. The air crackled with reiatsu grating against reiatsu, sparks dancing about the air like so many exstatic fireflies.
    The kick had yielded a crunchy crack from the dragon's maw, a gout of blood staining the black fire restraints binding it, the crackling lance of lightning beneath reacting to the nearing underbelly of the rain god to brilliant effect. Where each little fizzle of electricity met dragon scales fizzled out.
    That was, until Hibano's strength snapped the dragonlord's arm like the branch of an old oak finally bending at last after a thousand years. Sinew and bone split free of splintering scales, fury and pain frothing up in the throat of the soon-to-be-corpse god. Lightning given solid form met flesh. Burning, searing, carving the flesh under the dragon's neck like buzzsaws and torches.
    Threads bit into flesh, crackling against the blood oozing from the broken skin as the monk pushed aching muscles and straining tendons deeper into the dull ache of exertion.
    Sockets clicked, popping as the last violent struggle of spasming muscles came. The spear of sparks chewed deeper under the jaw, a final bitter scream of divinity slain by mortal hands echoing out. Shivers of hardened religious guilt shuddered down the spine of a true believer watching what appeared to be the demise of a true kami. Drowning like a feral animal in the bloody, bubbling froth disgorged from their gaping maw lined in cracked and broken fangs. Their fading death rattle carving the air suffocated under their own divine ichor. Metallic tasting crimson abrosia, steaming fresh from the heat of organs and bodily processes, sloughed free with the final gargling breath of the felled giant, staining the water underfoot with a creeping cloud of sin and gore.
    The spear flickered and faltered, the errant flits of static coating the central shaft fizzing away into nothingness as the winds of reiatsu abated. The lord's remaining eye rolled back, the white of the underside a pale, empty moon laid naked to the grey blanketed skies.
    Itsuki barely had time to ease his grip when it happened. Stiff fingers flexed slowly, a dry-throated groan of complaint as blood finally rushed back to his extremities when he unhunched himself, standing tall once more.
    "I think--" A sound of thunder. Blinding light filled the air. His nose filled with smoke, his face damp. Something rained about him. A rush of wind burst free, the waters pried free of the ground.
    The growing reishi bomb in the spear had gone off. It had been swallowed by the dragon's wound before exploding. Thick clumps of ash formerly the key threat to the temple rained softly. Thick fog hung in the air, water evaporated as the reishi laced throughout it had burst in chain deonation.
    Miraculous mercy had made it so that the particles were too loosely spread to cause any damage, even in that bright flash. Intense and briefly painful with no lasting damage. About their feet the fog pooled, a layer of clouds clinging to the ground. Overhead another layer hung, some meter or two above, hiding the sky and the highest points of the temple.
    Gasping in the air from the shock, the priest smoothed his robe in an effort to compose himself and staggered towards to the site of the explosion as his bleary-eyed vision began to steady. Urgency spurred his heart as stunned awareness reminded him of the unintentional blows he'd had this stranger suffer, his stagger shifting to a jog. More sunset-reiatsu stained strips torn from the sleeve of his robe were made ready, the pious man eager to attempt to apply it to the unexpected ally against this rampage.
    For at least a moment, there was silence in the air.

The struggle between Hibano and the dragon lasted for almost a minute. It was a desperate fight for survival to the rain god, sure, but the Fullbringer was hardly any more confident - at any moment, his muscles and Reiatsu could give out, his hand might simply slip against the pouring rain, or the dragon might reveal a trick that he could not anticipate and wipe him off the face of the Earth. Certainly, this creature could match even some of the heavy hitters that he had come across during his travels, such as Simone, or Asura.

After enough pressure, the dragon's arm snapped, in a rather brutal fashion - Hibano did not even turn his eyes to the bone and blood and kept pushing, driving the spear into the creature's skull and extracting its last pained whimper. Once the spear had been sufficiently forced into the skull and the dragon began collapsing to the flooded earth, the Fullbringer let go, and began slowly stepping back.

Deep, pained breaths followed one after another, but, he watched the corpse of the near-divine being with relief, and briefly put up a smile before-

A powerful and bright explosion, detonating in the dragon's head, suddenly threw Hibano back with considerable force. All that energy that was concentrated in the tip of the spear had to go somewhere, after all - still, it caught the Fullbringer completely off guard. Flying through the water, he crashed into a rock a few meters away from where he stood and slumped. It wasn't enough to kill him or even break bone, but it did knock the wind out of him.

"God, I hope that's the last we see of any of them..." Hibano muttered under his breath, clutching his head after the impact. For the time being, Itsuki and where he was completely evaporated off his mind - so he did not notice the monk approach.

The patter of damp shoes through the ocean now turned into fog heralded Itsuki's arrival. Dropping down to his knees, chest heaving with effort and clothes dripping, the monk affixed the makeshift bandage as best.
    "It's experimental but hopefully that binding takes care of the worst of it." He said.
    Clearing his throat, he slouched down next to Hibano amongst the debris and cracked flagstones. Looking about through their clear layer between the upper and ground level fog with all things considered the temple didn't seem to be in so bad a condition. The most vital parts of the temple in terms of ceremony and structure were untouched. Yes, an old tree or two had been tragically mauled or splintered and the path would need setting in new stones, but... all in all, the condition of the place was preserved.
    Breath steadying, the monk finally spoke up about his name. "I, and I'm sure, Nezu Shrine and lord Susano'o himself are thankful for your help here." A vague hand wave clattered the glowing beads floating from their position entwined about his wrist. "And I truly am sorry for hurting you up there, panic and all. I'm not really so good with this ... supernatural fighting yet." At last a breath through his nose, pulse slowing and the buzz of adrenaline easing. A proper lungful of cool fresh air.
    Faint glimmers in the mist speckled the air. Faint pinpricks of blues and reds drifting amidst the fog. Itsuki found nothing in his mental notes. His own reiatsu still burning as bright as it could manage, the man supposed it might be sparkling ash or even dregs of power from scattered remains. Were he perhaps more experienced in the practical application of these matters and not so exhausted, his third eye might be focused enough to see it coming.
    The layers of fog themselves, quite without warning, lurched. It was unnatural in that it was a natural motion. Yet, not one belonging to fog. It was no mere gust of wind or passing disruption. It expanded and contracted as if it were breathing.
Itsuki's fingers twitched, heart catching in his throat. Slow, his gaze drifted up to the undulating fog layer above them, lightly nudging Hibano. "...You ever seen this before either?" Whispered the fullbringer.

When Itsuki approached Hibano, he was laying on the ground, his back resting against the rock which was in his path when he was flung back by the explosion. The monk was apologetic, explaining how he was sorry for slapping him with searing hot iron in the sky earlier, while at the same time offering his thanks for the help in protecting the shrine from the dragons.

"It's fine, don't worry about it... though you could have given me a warning, at least," the Fullbringer teen answered him. His hand still faintly itched from the burn, but the pouring rain helped douse his arm throughout the fight. "No need to thank me, either. For a travelling swordsman like myself, going out of my way to help someone in need is a duty."

Itsuki, meanwhile, drew his attention towards something else - the fog, that was left behind by the waters that were spilled by the rain dragon, which appeared unnatural, twinkling with particles and streaks of colour, blue and red. Were those Reishi particles? Who knew, at this point, half an hour ago Hibano did not believe that dragons were real, either, and yet those turned out to be not only real, but also dangerous. Perhaps it is something connected to them? After all, they have just killed three in close vicinity.

Regardless, when Itsuki raised the question of what they were looking at, Hibano gave a simple answer:

"Not at all."

At first the 'breathing' had been soundless. Slow, at first, the motions continued to draw the layer concealing the sky in and out. Quicker, it came. Faster and faster, a violent pace building as the sparkling point burned brighter. No mistakes. Reiatsu, everywhere. Suddenly, there was nothing. Mist stilled, lights dimmed.
    But then...
    ...In the mist.
    Dragon's eyes.
    The limitations of what was reasonable for supernatural bodies in Itsuki's mind had been broken. For what must have almost been an hour now this conflict had stretched on only for a disembodies gaze to get back up and join them as the fourth threat. As if it were nothing at all the eyes of the beast simply blinked, leaning down as what was flat gained shape.
    The flow of the mist, the cracked black smile of the jagged maw parted betrayed it. This, somehow, was the supposedly felled water dragon. As it grew Itsuki's mind beheld an ultimate prize, resistance or nullification of death by magical or physical means.
It lunged. Itsuki cried out in terror, beads raised. Two bolts of white lightning had exploded free, blowing holes where feeble mist was helpless to do anything but separate.
    Freezing cold like icicles in his lungs and a waterfall on his skin struck him. Itsuki continued to scream as the cloud collapsing on him whited out any chance of sight. As the rush of the wind burning his skin abated the blanket of white pulled away from them both and towards the temple.
The only monk outdoors was upon his knees, arms raised to protect his face with a fresh frost on his clothes and little else but windburn. Above them the engorged form of the river dragon had swolled to twice the size of the rain god, drinking in what mist was left to fill out their ghostly form.
    "I-It-it... c-can't hurt us any-m-more?" He pushed out through chattering teeth.
    Hate and disgust were clear and cold on the foggy dragon's face.
    Itsuki looked over to Hibano through his one eye not glued shut by frozen eyelashes, expression clearly searching for answers as shivering took hold, arms slowly coming down.

The mist, as it turns out, was one of the dragons, fighting tooth and nail to try to lash out at the two incessant Fullbringers somehow. It created itself a form of mist and gas and then lunged at Itsuki, swallowing him whole. From the outside, it appeared as if a localized blizzard suddenly roared past him, coating him in frost and forcing him to cower at the cold. Yet, once the mist flew past, it left the monk behind - shaken by the cold, it seems, but neither knocked out nor picked up by the creature.

He, too, was confused by the means of the mist dragon's attack. Perhaps its disembodied form was simply unable to harm others in such physical way. Of course, that meant that neither of them could do much to it themselves, either.

Perhaps Itsuki's elemental attacks could figure something out. Hibano, even though the monk was staring at him for some sort of salvation, knew he couldn't do much to harm the dragon.

So, he went for another approach. Suddenly, the teen stretched out his hands to the sides, as if to show that he was unarmed and not seeking to commit any harm, and yelled:

"Hey!"

It was a long shot, but, if the dragon was sentient, perhaps they could find a way to reason with it?

"I understand that you might be furious right now - but you and the other dragons treaded on sacred ground! There was no other option, for either of us, but to try to stop you," Hibano would yell once the dragon turned its attention towards him. "We wish no harm to you beyond our right to defense. If you leave this place now, you will be able to go in peace. You clearly are in no condition to fight us any longer."

If it doesn't work, perhaps Itsuki can take advantage of the distraction, at least.

Itsuki remained upon his knees, rubbing warmth back into his limbs. Shivers continued to rattle his body, warm breath misting in the air.
    The ghostly figure stood tall in the light, wisps of white fog peeling free from the shifting scales that composed its body. Glimmering motes of light sparkled throughout their entire composition, a sparkling dance of blues and reds. It snorted, a rush of freezing wind whistling briefly through the air in answer. Disdain still ruled their expression.
    A single, pale claw made contact with the ground as the creature leaned low, dragging ineffectually along the broken tiles where the spear once stood. Feeble, fading clouds sprouted where the claw gave way against stone, cold mist missing as it rushed free. The blackened stain of blood upon the stone beneath the fog, the rain god's blood, ran red through the airy limb of the last dragon.
    "I shall mark thee for the slaying of mine kin so that none forget humanity's latest crime 'gainst dragon and wyrm." It bade, voice rumbling and reverberating in the air. Strangely, there was something almost serene and calm to that voice panged with pain and frozen fury.
    The elegant form turned its head to the sky. Guttural agony rang in the screaming shriek it shed, those pinpoints of light shining brighter and brighter until with a flash, it was gone.
    Clicking joints stiff from the cold, a spine struggling to straighten. A heart fluttering desperately. Itsuki's entire body worked against him as he fought his way up from his knees. Croaking and creaking, Itsuki's throat finally cleared.
    "Vengeance of the kami aside, we seem to have... won?" Uncertainty and tiredness marred his voice, sweat coating his face. Again he peered over to Hibano, one eye still glued shut by a patch of rime.

"Seems so."

The dragon left the scene with an ominous warning. Hibano and Itsuki, supposedly, were now marked as responsible for the latest crime of humans against dragons, and will, presumably, receive their due one day. Until then, however, the dragon had the bright idea to recognize that it was on the back foot and thus retreat - that was all that the Fullbringer wanted from today. If he gets attacked by a flock of dragons next week, he'll figure out a way to handle it then. Hopefully.

Slowly, Hibano slumbered to where his sword was stabbed to the ground, and pulled it out. Briefly, he spun the weapon in the rain, then slammed it into its sheath. By now, he was completely soaked from the rain. And the air wasn't particularly warm right now, either.

"Aside from the rain, the knee deep water, and the fact that I still only faintly understand why they were here and what was their goal, this was... almost kind of fun," he explained. The Soul Fusion transformation faded, and the second soul which appeared to work in unison with him, at least according to Reiatsu senses, seemingly vanished. Perhaps it was a bit odd to call a battle for survival and for the protection of sacred grounds "fun", but... well, he couldn't really deny it.

Hibano brushed trickling rain and sweat off his forehead. "Forgive me if I am asking for too much, but... does your temple happen to have any tea? Or, well, anything to recover from this cold with?"