The Difference in Power (open)

Riku sat in his desk, overlooking the records about these Serion. That bounto, Simon, delivered the documents an hour after Grainne returned from her meeting. It was clear the Coalition wanted to handle it as it was primarily them that these killing robots wanted to take on. But they needed the shinigami to keep the hollow at bay. Granted this is all after Alexei Romanov has been dealt with, and they freely admitted that finding him, or at least the original him, would be easier said than done.

Looking over it, the child sized shinigami couldn't help but feel useless. He needed to regain his power. But the problem was that this took time...nothing like Rena, which just donors were needed to give back her powers. Sighing heavily, he walked out and to the training grounds. There wasn't anyone there, but he'd brought some tea with him. And just sat to look at the empty grounds. Wondering if he'll ever regain his power...if someone would push him to need it...

(OOc is this a tier up?)

Diath walked trough the streets of seireitei on her way to the young captain riku's office. Grainne was worried about him, and the fact that his powers were taking so long to return to full. Since her sister had a ton of work to sort through because of the search for alexai, and the potentially large threat a new arrancar king posed, Diath offered to check on him for her. She had hated leaving her sister with all that work, but she wasn't captain commander. Diath couldn't do the job for her sister.

The slender brown haired shinigami sauntered up to Riku's door and knocked. There was no answer. She poked her head in, and found the office empty. She sighed and turned around closing the door behind her. Where could he be? She started to walk, and spotted an officer from his squad. "Hey, do you have any idea where captain Riku might be?" She asked. The man nodded. "He's at the training grounds vice captain Xios." She flashed the man a dazzling smile and walked off in search of the training grounds.

She arrived at the training grounds. The place was empty, surprisingly so it was easy to spot the small captain sitting along. Diath crossed the grounds and sat next to him. "Hello Riku." She said. "Its a lovely day out. How are you feeling?" She asked.

Riku looked at Diath and waved at her. She started a conversation. "Which version do you want to hear...the BS cop out version or the truth?" He watched her warily for an answer. But he knew which one she wanted. Sighing, he put down his tea. "Between the possible new threat of the new Espada King and the killer robots that are the Serion, I can't help but think I'm a little useless right now. I don't feel all that much stronger since relaxing not fighting at all. My muscles and my energy clearly remembers...but I don't. It's...frustrating...beyond being a supporting character in a show, I don't really know what else to do..."

He wasn't down or anything like that. The five foot four blond was anything but depressed. At least he was doing something. He'd even volunteered to assist with small group tactics and strategy...something he found he was really kinda good at. Still...against someone vastly superior, it really didn't matter. Things like that only meant when there was less of a power gap, but still a good amount more or against groups, in wars or group battles. Riku wondered what the sister of their superior will think of this...

Diath nodded understandly. She gave riku a sweet smile. "Trust me Riku, I understand. " She said. "Being the weakest of my sisters advisers, you have to imagine i understand your frustration. from the time i was a child i've been looking after Grainne. She was always such a sweet, calm child who never caused trouble. I never expected her to become a shinigami, let alone captain commander. The only reason I became a shinigami was to protect her, and then our brother died and things changed so fast I realised pretty quickly I've become useless. I'm not getting any stronger. I've tried. I tried so hard to unlock toukai, and even when I did I didn't get much stronger. It frustrates me that I'm not able to protect her like Aki or Jensen can, or how even you used to." She said.

"When I was younger, before all this, I used to look up to you. Youngest captain in the gotei. And one of the strongest for your age. And now you've fallen. But your not like me, Riku, your not at the limit of your power." She said, standing up. "When push comes to shove, I might not be able to protect Grainne. But I'm not going to sit around and mope either. I'll try to get stronger, and even if I don't, I'm going to help you get your power back, and more if we can manage it. And I'm not taking no for an answer." Diath walked into the centre of the training grounds. It was a bit open. She would prefer a change of scenery. Maybe the rukongai forest or somewhere on earth.

"Now I might not be the strongest, but fight me in a forest or a jungle and I'll make you work for a win. What do you say, want to go somewhere fun?" She asked him.

Riku listened intently. But still frowned. She was hardly useless. She was a captain class fighter. A lower ranked one, but a captain class fighter nevertheless. "I'd hardly call you useless. You're still a captain class fighter. That alone makes you stronger than 80% of anything we'll fight anywhere. A weaker one, sure, but all it can take is one to suddenly turn the tables, especially if you strike at the opportune moment. And according to Jensen, I've been spiritually aware when I was human, even could use some kido then too...among other things going for me. An accident of birth. I'd hardly look up to me in that respect. But yeah, sure...let's see if this plan of your's can do anything."

The blond would leave his tea set there. Someone will take care of it. He just hoped she wouldn't start off so drastically superior to him...he was still on the lower end of the vice-captain range, spiritually at least, so while he wasn't a slouch in a fight, he was still no match for a captain. He'll follow her to wherever Diath had in mind. A forest was an interesting place. Riku hadn't fought her before or anything, according to several sources. But he also didn't know what she was capable of doing either.

"Oh trust me I know i can kick ass. But against the new hollow king or one of his powerful followers? I dont stand a chance, and i don't want to be the only thing standing between Grainne and that monster." She said. From Grainne's reaction to the new hollow king showing up at a private meeting, Diath understood that he was not a nice person, or to be trusted. Atleast with Arngrim there had been some form of friendship between the two, and he was seen as an honorable man.

Diath opened a senkaimon and nodded for Riku to follow. She took him to a remote part of the amazon jungle. It was damp and humid, and overgrown. Perfect to utilize her full set of skills and put Riku at a disadvantage. "This will do." Diath said as she pulled a clip from her hair and held it between her thumb and forefinger. "This is a Jungle, as you know. Its also my natural habitat. So instead of just hitting each other in a training ring until we're black and blue and end up getting given out to by Marie, lets try something different. Hit me. Three times. Here." She pointed to the center of her chest.

"You can't use your sword. Or powers. Or kido. I've heard you used to be good with your fists so lets go right back to the beginning and see if you remember anything.. I will also refrain from using my Zan. But i can use kido." She said. "When you've successfully hit me three times we'll try again and mix it up you using some kido and go from there. Assuming your in the mood for this, we'll start when your ready."

"Ah, but Grainne, as afraid of him as she might be, stands a chance against him. Against his followers, you're still every bit of an asset as everyone else and can likely take on multiple of them. Not all of one's followers are as strong as you or Aki or Jensen." Riku was thinking she needs more self confidence in herself. Never underestimate an opponent, true enough, but never overestimate them either. He followed obediently.

Riku was amused by her proposition. "Not like I remember my shikai, and the kido I do remember are all mid to high leveled, so I run out of energy super fast right now if I utilize those. But let's do this..." Cracking his neck he reviewed a bit of what he knew of Diath. She was a speedster...but that was all he knew. Alright...let's get started.

He jumped back and swung a chop at the tree he was heading towards. It would easily encompass five to six of him width wise, and who knows how tall, but his immense physical strength allowed him to do what he wanted, take the damn thing down. Grabbing it on the end, he tried to split it apart with his brute strength. It wasn't in a perfect half, but that was alright. The blond tossed the larger half towards his opponent and then jumped with the other one. He hid behind it, and should she split it with a kido spell, he should land close enough to attempt a punch.

Even if she didn't, and simply dodged it, he'd kick it at her and charge to punch at her.

Diath ducked under the half of log Riku threw at her. She caught the edge and swung herself around onto it, then jumped of, landing on the piece he used as cover. She spun around it and dropped at him from above, jabbing at him with her hair clip, which was sharp enough to pierce easily, aiming for the back of his shoulder. She danced away before he could attack back. He dropped the log and kicked it at her. Daith slid under it fluidly and nipped at his left leg with the hair clip, then flipped away as he aimed a punch that was a little to far off to catch her as she did.

At the end of her trio of backflips she jumped upwards and latched onto a branch, twisting around it and launching from it so fast it was a blur. She disapeared into the trees and vanished from sight in a few seconds. She took up residence in the canopy about 30ft from Riku and waited, watching him with heat vision and listened to his movements. What would he do now, start clearing the trees? She waited until the right moment, and dropped down behind him, taking another jab at his arm with her hairclip.

(fixed huh...the kick he never did was still there, but I'll still incorporate the attack on his other one)

Riku shifted just enough for whatever she was jabbing with missed and poked the log. He was slow, but his reflexes weren't. He attempted a kick, but she moved away before it could do anything. But was still well within range when the log reached the ground. She slid down to attempt a strike at his ankle, but he moved it away. His punch missed as she danced away and went into backflips. Then she vanished.

The boy sensed across the area, seeing if she hid her spiritual pressure. Seemed she was smart enough to do that. He contemplated his options. But settled on a trap. He walked a little bit, letting his guard down completely, waiting for her to take advantage of it. She did.

Immediately, he put his right hand up and grabbed her hand with a sharp hairclip. So that was what she tried to hit him with. It put a hole in his hand, but he still grappled it securely, despite the blood. With his left, he threw a punch straight at her ribs on her side that he held onto. That would make it difficult to block, but still possible. Whether it was blocked or not, it should at least sent her sliding away.

He aimed another punch to the ground, hopefully ruining her footing with the resulting ground breakup and crater. Riku used the debris to close the distance and threw some smaller pieces at her. This time he tried to kick her down towards the ground, for another punch, this time aimed at her chest.

Riku grabbed her hand and tried to punch her in the ribs. There were two loud pops from her arm as she twisted out of the way, her back to his side, her shoulder and elbow clearly out of their sockets, bent at alarming angles. Even her wrist appeared like it should be broken, but was perfectly fine. It was one of her more alarming and disturbing skills. Diath slipped her hand free from Riku's grip and jumped back, and popped her shoulder and elbow back into place, but he hit the ground as she recovered and shattered it. She was sent toppling backwards and fell into a backwards roll as he came at her with a kick. She barely avoided it and was hit square in the chest by the punch which sent her flying. She caught a tree branch and used the momentum to swing herself up and jumped off the branch, back at riku.

she hit the ground infront of him and slipped past, jabbing at his leg and arm rapidly with the hairclip. She let herself slide and then jumped, catching a branch and swinging herself into the tree. And then she was gone again, disappearing back into the jungle to hide and wait. She had to stop for a breather though, and admire the growing pain in her chest. That was gonna leave a bruise. She didn't look forward to explaining that to Grainne.

Riku was shocked at the displaced limbs. It allowed her to escape, and she put those limbs right back in place like it was nothing. He did manage one hit on her chest at least, and that sent her flying. Only for her to catch a branch and come right back at him. Low to the ground, there wasn't much he could do to snatch her as she pierced his leg and forearm with the clip and off she went again. He was able to track her movements to some extent.

He started to chuckle a bit. "You're a snake." He yelled after her. That's what the limbs reminded him of...a snake dislocating its jaw to swallow its prey. The blond started to walk leisurely in the direction she disappeared in. Diath has certainly been intense. He wondered if he could get a second hit on her so soon after the first. The small captain had a plan in place. Similar to the first.

Riku found a good place and sat down, back against a tree. Now it was wait and see as he closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.

Diath giggled as she ran away. She and Riku hadn't talked much, so it was unlikely he knew about her ability to actually change into a snake. He was bang on the money with that one. After a while of hiding, when she decided he wasn't coming any farther she made her way back to him with perfect stealth. From the vantage point of the tree she found him with his back to a tree opposite, eyes closed. She wasn't just going to attack him, not when she expected him to have a plan for that.

Diath moved through the trees carefully until she was at Riku's side, then activated her hairclip. turning it into a long silvery spear, she pulled back her arm and threw it as quietly as possible. It severed hit a branch with a crack then thudded into a tree, and Daith used the distraction to strike from his side with a punch to the jaw followed by a kick to the shins.

He heard the crushing branches and moved. Riku knew that was a distraction. But he didn't expect her to be that close, barely missing his jaw. Being as small as he was and crouched, he was able to catch the kick. Instead of using that to attack however, he started rubbing it. And giving it a massage, working the foot muscles into relaxation and hopefully having it make her feel good. "Question...does it hurt when you did that bone thing? It kinda reminded me of a snake unhinging its jaws and manipulating its skeleton for something it ate..." It was rather interesting...she could bend in all sorts of ways like that. A light blush started on his cheeks that he willed away. Let's not go there.

Suddenly and without warning, his grip tightened and tried to slam her into the tree, followed by a kick to the ribs. Then he punched the tree to let it fall on her before moving out of the way himself. Then he jumped at her for a round house kick to the jaw. Upon landing, he braced himself for a counter attack.

Riku grabbed her by the foot and started rubbing it. Diath tilted her head slightly and stared at him. "Umm..." She said, blushing slightly. He asked her a question about her ability and she shook her head. "No it's pretty painless. If you like snakes, I've hell of a trick to show you later." She was starting to enjoy that foot rub, and she noticed the expression on his face and his blush. "Now now Riku this is a fight not a-" and then he gripped her ankle tight and slammed her into the tree which splintered with the impact. She popped the bones in her ankle and foot and wiggled free.

She barely dodged the kick to the ribs as she slipped away and toppled onto the ground. Riku punched the tree and it fell on her and pinned her to the ground. If he continued with the kick, since she was pinned, she activated a shield kido to block it. "-date.... I really hope you don't end all your foot rubs like this." Diath extradited herself from under the tree and stretched out her body. That hurt. "Ok first, you do not start giving a lady a foot rub and then slam her into a tree, ok? Not cool! Second, I seen that blush. Keep your mind on the training pal." Diath turned away to hide her face as she composed herself.

"Anyway I think that counts as two more direct hits. You win. So do you want to keep fighting, with weapons perhaps, or do you want to take a break?" She asked him.

She saw that blush. And tried to chastise him for what he was doing. He did indeed went on for the kick, but she blocked it with a kido spell. He gave a shit-eating grin at her. "No I don't." He started to giggle at the scolding until that second part. Then he shut up quickly and started to rub the back of his neck. "Why did you think I slammed you into the tree in the first place? I wanted to distract where my mind was going. Technically speaking, my body is that of a teenager..." Even if he was a lot older now.

He gave her a moment to compose herself as she declared his win and asked a question. "Maybe a small breather would be nice." He plopped down on the downed tree and leaned back on his arms, though not terribly much. This next one would be with weapons. The five foot four blond had tried to converse with his zanpakutou before, but to no avail. Did they like him in the first place? What were they? What was his inner world like? How did he die in the first place? When did he become a full fledged shinigami? He looked peaceful as he contemplated those questions.

Diath laughed. "That's not really a good excuse, I'm also technically a teenager. I'll take it as a compliment though." She said. She nodded about the breather and snaked her way into a tree across from the downed tree. Thinking about that foot rub made her blush so she focused on the pain and tried to "So are you familiar with your Zan spirits?" She asked him.

Diath listened to his reply and nodded. "My own Zan is a giant snake. A very annoyed Giant snake. Not nice to be around. I don't talk to him much, and I'm pretty sure he only tolerates me because, you said it yourself, I'm a snake." She flashed her fangs. "See I have fangs and all. Speaking of which, do you want to see that trick i mentioned earlier, or will we get back to fighting and save that for later?"

Riku sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck at her responding comment. But at least she didn't take offense to it or anything. He simply nodded about zanpakutou spirits. Then she told him about her own. He was actually slightly jealous, though chuckled a bit. "So my comment from earlier was closer than I thought. I'd heard rumors my zanpakutou spirits were pranksters. But unfortunately, I don't know much about them. I guess that can change later on."

He could only hope. Rest time was over. "Let's continue. You can show me that trick when we get back if you're up to it. What were the rules for this second time again?" The blond waited before he would get ready to start.

Diath nodded. "Its a family trait. Grainne has allot of bird like properties. And... Well yeah.." She looked away, becoming quiet for a moment. Then Riku said he wanted to continue and she nodded. "Alright. I'm going to use shikai. Maybe push you a little bit. Defend yourself using your sword and kido. If you can land three hits, you win. If I land 3 hits before you can hit me once, I win. Every time you land a hit, my hits reset. just keep the blows away from vitals. If one of us drags the other in bleeding from a mortal wound Grainne and marie will flip." She said laughing. She gave him a moment to prepare, then drew her zanpakuto and called out her shikai.

"Show your fangs, alysodemέnos." Diath said, her weapon split into two spears, one yellow and the other red. The red one was longer, at 7ft length, while the yellow was 5ft. She slammed the butt of the red one into the ground, and pointed the yellow at him. "Come when your ready." she said, with a glint in her eye. This time she wasn't going to go as easy, or let him distract her with those blue eyes of his.

Riku nodded and gave her a smile. He drew his sword from his back. It still felt...familiar, but odd all the same. He'd been trying to spend some time in with Jensen's classes so maybe it'll feel a bit more natural. The blond went into the typical Kendo stance and watched Diath as she released her shikai. Twin spears, one longer than the other. If her affinity for snakes were anything to go by, she may have some poisons on those spears. Well, maybe not, but it was a possibility.

Sticking out his pinky finger, he started. "Hado 4: Byakurai." From his pinky came a white bolt of energy, aimed directly at the bottom of the red spear. Then he charged. Letting go with his right hand, he swung at the yellow spear, to keep it out of his way. With the palm at her, he used another spell. "Hado 31: Shokkaho!" A red ball of energy was blasted towards her upper chest. It also gave him a good position to defend or attack with that hand, depending on what she did.

Riku attacked with a spell aimed at the butt of her spear, and she spun the weapon rapidly before it hit. He moved in and parried the yellow spear, and attacked with a second kido, thinking he'd have an opening. Despite the length of her weapons, she was skilled with them and trying to close wasn't sufficient to neutralising her. Diath bent backwards under the the shot of red fire at the same time as kicking the butt of the red spear up into Riku's face. She threw back her other hand and pushed off into a one handed handstand, and used that to get back to her feet and create a nice bit of distance.

She thrust with the red spear aiming to cut the shoulder of his sword arm at the same time as secreting one of her many poisons onto the blade. Weakness. If it hit, Riku would feel sluggish and his physical strength would drop by 25% for 3 posts. She pulled back at the same time as stepping in to bring the shaft of the yellow spear across his right leg.

She avoided both strikes and tried to counter attack. He caught the red one and pushed it away, precisely why he did what he did. Diath then gained distance and struck with the red spear. He tried to move out of the way, but got nicked in the shoulder as he pushed it away. Riku hopped over the spear and then kicked a small stone at her and just took a few steps forward when he felt it. Eyes widening, he jumped back and went into a defensive stance.

Poisons...nasty things. And this one saps his strength. Plus he was already feeling sluggish. He could still take down trees and make craters, but the craters would be smaller. This wasn't good. He decided to pry a little. "Just guessing, but can you sense body heat?" Some snakes can do this. Some even strike at it. The blond hoped she'd answer him truthfully. If so, then that would rule out Kyokko. He'd have to fight defensively for now...