Squad 10 Tests

(This entire thread will be for fighting skill)

His black cloak rippled in the wind as Shikyo moved with a determined step toward the training grounds of the Squad 10 hopefuls. Passing through the gates and into the headquarters it astonished him to see how many shinigami had already arrived, each there to prove their worth and to show that they were worthy of becoming a member of the tenth division. Looking around it was apparent that these were not shinigami fresh out of the academy but members of various other squads intending to be reassigned to the same place he hoped to end up. Despite the impressive collection of warriors, Shikyo knew that only one would be able to claim the position of vice-captain and he planned to use every skill he possessed to be sure that it was him who ended up with the title.

Standing among the large group as a man appeared in front of them, he stood as just another face in the crowd, with nothing differentiating him from them except for his will to win and his desire to achieve greatness. Shikyo listened carefully as the man explained the decision process, a number of tests would be imposed upon the group and how well they performed these tests would determine if they were even eligible for working within squad 10. After the first crop of shinigami were removed then the tests would get considerably more difficult in order to decide who would claim which seat.

The first test was rather simple, an all-out sparring match between the large group of shinigami to be performed without the use of their Zanpakuto. The top 40 performers would then be notified of where to report for their second test. The man signaled to the other proctors surrounding the men who moved through the crowd collecting the Zanpakuto. Shikyo eyed the man closely who took his weapon, being sure to memorize his face so that he would know exactly who to find when he wanted Miku back.

The group was then led to a wide training field, it was an empty expanse for the most part except for the few trees that lined the edges and marked where the sparring ground ending. "The test will begin in 30 seconds." The proctor announced as a loud timer resounded throughout the area, counting down to 0. Shikyo looked around and saw the others quickly moving away from each other, claiming the spots they would protect so it would be organized chaos once the test started. Positioning himself beneath a tree on the edge of the group he regulated his breathing as the timer reached 0 and a bell rang to indicate the test's beginning.

Shikyo didn't have to wait long for an opponent as one of the applicants leapt down on top of him from the tree he had chosen to stand under. Jumping to the side as the man yelled to announce his presence, Shikyo hopped back, landing on the balls of his feet before launching himself toward the assailant. Aiming a punch directly for the Shikyo's head, Shikyo quickly moved to the side, spinning in the air as he fired a roundhouse kick to his opponent's side. The attack landed and Shikyo followed the move with a knee to the man's stomach as the applicant skidded backward while holding his stomach in pain. Bouncing slightly on his feet as he prepared to evade a possible counter-attack, a second opponent revealed himself to Shikyo, flash-stepping above the shinigami and attempting to smash his interlocked fist upon Shikyo's head.

Throwing his hands up to block the attack, Shikyo caught the man's hands and flipped him over his body so that he was sent hurtling toward the first opponent. Flash-stepping behind the thrown man as he used him for a distraction, Shikyo planted the heel of his foot into the first man's face, feeling the bone beneath his foot break as blood leaked from his opponent's face. Sending a final elbow into his chest Shikyo knocked the man on the ground, rewarded with the look of pain that crossed his face as a proctor appeared on the field and removed the fallen opponent from the training area. "#23 has been eliminated." A voice announced over the loud speaker, reminding the applicants that this was one of the most important test they would face in the coming weeks because failure here ended all hope of joining the 10th squad.

Shikyo's thoughts were interrupted as his second opponent regained his footing. Shikyo felt the man's increasing reiatsu before he disappeared by way of shunpo and aimed a powerful kick toward Shikyo's head. The attack was predictable and it was Shikyo's instinctive reflexes that took over, catching the man's foot as he channeled his own reiatsu through his hand to counter the flying attack. Sending more spiritual energy through his right arm he pounded at the man's knee, forcing it in a direction it was not naturally intended to go. The applicant howled in pain as a proctor appeared once more to collect the fallen warrior, "#14 has been eliminated." The voice announced once more.

Shikyo turned to survey the rest of the scene as it was a chaotic field of a numerous battles, each shinigami worried only about themselves. "#'s 32, 17, and 19 have been eliminated." The voice announced. "Three enemies at once?" Shikyo thought, turning to see a rather tall shinigami standing confidently over a trio of fallen opponents as the proctor collected them. The shinigami approached Shikyo, who immediately took a defensive stance, "I was watching you against those other two," He stated. "If we worked together then surely no one would be able to defeat us."

Shikyo wasn't naive enough to think that this man had his best interest in mind, but understood the advantages of working with someone of his skill level, at least in the beginning. "Let's do it." Shikyo replied as the man smiled a toothy grin at the response. The pair flash-stepped through the arena, working in tandem as Shikyo appeared before an unsuspecting foe, landing a massive uppercut that knocked him into the air as his partner appeared in front of the dazed combatant and executed a series of strikes that incapacitated the applicant.

Moving through the sparring arena, the pair seemed almost invincible as they attacked the others, eliminating an increasing number of others before soon there were only four total applicants left. Shikyo knew that the longer he lasted in this test the higher his scores would be and the better his chances for winning the position so he remained on high alert as a nod from his partner told him that they needed to separate to dispatch of these last two obstacles on their road to victory.

Shikyo squared off against his opponent who initially charged forward but then executed a shunpo mid-step and appeared behind Shikyo, landing two quick hits into the shinigami's back. Falling forward, Shikyo allowed his momentum to carry him as he landed on his hands, performing a push-up of sorts as he rose his legs in the air and reversed the direction of his body so that both his feet battered his opponent's chest. Spinning upward to finish him before he had a chance to counter-attack, Shikyo spun in the air once more and landed a powerful sideways kick to the man's knee so that his opponent yelped in pain before falling to the ground due to his kneecap being broken.

Shikyo felt immensely proud that he had won and was about to check on the progress of his partner when he felt an incredible attack directly at the base of head, knocking him to the ground. Before he completely lost consciousness he heard the voice over the loud speaker mention his number "#27 has been eliminated."

Shikyo's eyes fluttered open as a sharp pain in his head reminded him of the betrayal executed by someone he blindly put his trust in. "I knew I should've taken him down when I have the chance." He thought to himself as he opened his eyes wider, looking around the darkness of the room as he waited for pupils to adjust. He didn't have to wait long as the light from the moon through his window sped the process exponentially. The room was about a large as the community bathroom back in Squad 11 and Shikyo assumed that this was where they held the applicants until the next test would begin. In his opinion, his performance in the previous battle should merit his promotion to the next stage but he also knew that his mindset would have to change if he intended to reach all the way to the end.

His thoughts continued to focus on this until a sudden crash through the window derailed his train of thought as pieces of glass shattered around him and three masked assailants surrounded him. "Bakudo #1: Restrain!" Shikyo heard the words only seconds before the invisible restraint locked his arms behind his back. It would have been a simple matter to exercise his reiatsu and break out of the low-level kidou but the intruders wasted no time in placing a black bag over Shikyo's head and physically restraining his hands behind his back with some sort of metal lock that he couldn't simply break free of. The attackers lifted Shikyo out of his bed, throwing him out the window as he landed roughly on the ground outside and rolled through some grass.

"Are you sure this is the one?" Shikyo heard one of his attackers ask.

"Shikyo Yoshi, room #1002. This is him." Another responded. The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't exactly place it. Shikyo felt himself being lifted as the intruders carried his body to a different location, dropping him down into what he assumed was a hole. Positioning his body so he was leaning against a wall, Shikyo listened to his captors talking.

"How long do we leave him down there?"

"Until the tests are over." Came the answer. Shikyo recognized the voice as the same person who identified his name and room, a light bulb clicking on in his brain as he realized that the voice of the person seemingly in command was none other than the shinigami he faced during the first test. If they succeeded in keeping him here, his dreams of becoming captain one day was over. He had worked to hard, had come to far, to allow someone to negate all of his training and effort in one fail swoop.

As he heard the voices moving further away from his position he pushed himself to his feet with help from the wall. Leaping into the air and compressing his knees into his chest he rotated his arms under his feet so that his hands were now in front of his body. Removing the black mask he looked down at the clasps on his wrist, noticing a key hole in one side. Looking upward toward the sky he realized why it had hurt when he fell down the hole, he was a good distance below the surface of the ground. As his anger intensified his reiatsu grew proportionally, seemingly connected to his emotions. Allowing it to flow freely through his limbs as a golden energy encased his body, he bent his knees and propelled himself upward, leaping from wall to wall in the hole as he scaled to the top, bursting out of the trap to see that his captors had turned back when they felt the increase in spiritual pressure.

Shikyo narrowed his eyes as he confirmed that the leader of their group was indeed the same shinigami he had faced during the first test and a glance at the other two told him that his cohorts were two shinigami he defeated during that same test, one of them holding a set of keys in their hand. Flash-stepping toward the one with the key, Shikyo launched his clasped hands into the man's stomach, grabbing the keys as the man flew backward. The second assailant didn't give him time to use them however as he charged toward Shikyo, aiming a powerful punch toward his head. Shikyo raised the metal clasps in front of his face as the man battered his fist against the strong iron. As he held his hand in pain, Shikyo smashed the clasps into the side of the man's face.

Using the key to release his hands he now turned toward the shinigami who instigated the entire operation.

"So I underestimated you." He stated to Shikyo. "You're still no threat to me, but I will have to take you seriously the next time we meet."

Shikyo had no time to respond as the mysterious figure flash-stepped away, leaving the two unconscious shinigami in front of Shikyo. Picking up the metal clasps he locked the pair together but kicking their sleeping bodies into the pit they attempted to keep him in. He knew that it was going to be an intense process, but this situation only reminded him that there were those who would do anything to win and if he didn't maintain that same mindset he would fail.

OOC: nice mate, +4 fighting skill

(OOC: Not sure if this is intelligence or fighting skill but as always, either will be appreciated)

"All remaining applicants report to the training grounds at once!"

Shikyo's eyes shot open as he leapt from his bed, startled from his sleep by the intrusion of the unusally loud hell butterfly. Mumbling something about waking at an ungodly hour, Shikyo hurriedly adorned his black cloak as he slammed through his door and burst into the hallway, nearly hitting a woman in the face with the uncareful action.

"Watch out!" The woman screamed as Shikyo turned to bow his apologies and was immediately dumbfounded by the female shinigami's beauty. She had a noticeably curvy exterior, as well as long black hair that complemented her wide brown eyes that as of now were narrowed at Shikyo, threatening to cause him to burst into flames if she possessed that kind of power. However Shikyo had no time for introductions now, ejecting an almost inaudible "sorry" as he turned and sprinted through the hall way, flash-stepping when he was outside to decrease the amount of time it took to reach the training grounds.

Catching his breath as he tried desperately to hide the fact that he was inhaling much deeper than he needed to be, he let out a small sigh of relief as he realized that he wasn't the last person to arrive. Seconds after the last applicant arrived, the proctor appeared before them, staring intensely at the crowd gathered in front of him before speaking.

"If you are still here today then you made it past the preliminary tests. Although simply making it to the next phase doesn't guarantee that you'll receive a seat on the Squad, it does indicate to us that all of you have the potential and drive required to at the very least, be given futher opportunities to prove yourselves."

Shikyo waited patiently as the large group (he counted close to 40 shinigami) were divided into eight groups of five, with two groups having only four members. Shikyo noted that the two men he dispatched of the previous night would have made it an even 40, but apparently the proctor had no problems continuing with only the ones who showed up now. Shikyo was delighted to discover that the woman he met earlier ended up in his group, along with three other shinigami he barely recognized from the day before.

The task given to the group was simple, but not necessarily easy. They were to patrol a small area of Rukongai, specifically a district known to have a high concentration of spirit energy that attracted hollows to their vicinity and capture, not kill, a hollow. They were still not given their Zanpakuto and the only Kidou allowed was the Ambush Flare technique in order to trap the hollow.

Shikyo stood perched on the edge of a tall building, surveying the landscape and keeping an eye out for any disturbances in spiritual pressure. Because of his performance in the previous tests he was given the role of field leader during the mission and as such had dispatched his team at critical points around the city, each armed with a hell butterfly to alert the others should they encounter a hollow. The group didn't have to wait long as the screaming sound of a woman alerted the shinigami to the presence of an approaching hollow. Shikyo flash-stepped from his location to the ground as he sprinted through the streets and arrived at the origin of the terrified sound simultaneously to his comrades.

The hollow roared in defiance as it look around itself, noticing the five shinigami. Shikyo had previously given the team their orders so that he wouldn't have to worry about it when a hollow appeared and waited anxiously for his plan to be put into motion. The woman whom he'd met earlier flash-stepped in front of the hollow, issuing a devastating reiatsu filled punch to its chest as it fell backward. Shikyo nodded to the other members of his team as the three of them moved further down the dusty path, channeling their own spiritual energy as they prepared the net. All they had to do now was get it into the trap.

Shikyo leapt into the air, spinning as he landed a powerful kick into the beast's mask, sending it skirting along the path and toward the other shinigami. The creature roared once more as he attempted to stand, only to fall again as Shikyo appeared beneath it, executing a sweeping kick that caused it to lose its balance. Shikyo looked past the hollow, attempting to see if the others were ready but discovering that they were not, refocused his attention upon the hollow. The beast roared a third time, this time aiming the cry directly into the air as a black hole opened in the sky and Shikyo looked up to see a number of hollow now pouring into Rukongai as they aimed to destroy the soul reapers.

Knowing that the shinigami would not be able to complete the trap and ward off the hollows, Shikyo made an executive decision, calling out to the woman who stood defensively on the other side of the hollow. "Take care of this hollow, and make sure we get it in the net." The woman nodded as Shikyo flash-stepped to the top of the nearest building, allowing his reiatsu to flow freely through his limbs as he prepared to dispatch of the extra foes.

Spiritual energy flowed through Shikyo's limbs, the golden energy encased his body as if he harnessed the power of the sun within his soul and only through his will would it be allowed to shine. Aiming a punch backed by his spiritual pressure, Shikyo's fist collided with the mask of the first hollow, shattering it upon impact as he flash-stepped in front of another and executed a lethal roundhouse that demolished the stark white mask of another hollow. "Shikyo!" Hearing his name, the shinigami turned to look beneath him as he saw the struggling form of a trapped hollow inside the net.

"Excellent!" He exclaimed before returning his attention on the four other hollow in his presence. Deciding that this qualified as "dire circumstances", he channeled his reiatsu through his hands, announcing "Bakudo #4: Crawling Rope!" Three light blue strings materialized in front of him before converging upon themselves, forming a strong rope that bound the four hollow together. Holding on to the other end of the rope Shikyo performed the second part of his plan, "Hado #11: Reading Lightning!" The electrical energy swirled around Shikyo's body before dancin down his arm and through the rope. The lightning surged forth, through the hollows, causing a massive explosion in the air and forced Shikyo to shield his eyes from the smoke. As the air cleared Shikyo signaled for his team to follow him back to the Squad 10 headquarters before more hollows appeared.

(OOC: Spirit Power for this post please)

The results of the test were better than he expected and Shikyo attempted to hide his amazement as a hell butterfly summoned him from his quarters back to the training ground. Arriving in a swift and timely manner he immediately noticed the others were already there, but each stood a good distance behind the proctor who positioned himself in front of Shikyo. Bowing as he awaited instruction, he felt the approaching reiatsu of the shinigami that had quickly become his rival. "Shikyo Yoshi and Takashi Kaoru. Having performed at the top of this class the decision as to Vice-Captain is now between the two of you."

Shikyo chanced a side-ways glance toward Takashi, somehow subconsciously knowing that the final battle would be between the two of them. "Your Zanpakuto." Shikyo's normally stoic face broke into an uncharacteristic grin as he held Miku in his hands once more. He felt as if it was his last day at the Academy again when he first received the prized possession, this time however he knew exactly how to control its power.

"The two of you will fight, with the victor being the one that lives and that person will take the mantle of lieutenant."

Shikyo's initial surprise at the announcement quickly subsided as he realized that now was not the time to hold back. Takashi had wronged him time and time again and undoubtedly would not hesitate to kill Shikyo at a moment's notice, especially now that he had been given permission. Turning to face his opponent, Shikyo waited anxiously as the proctor flash-stepped away a good distance before starting the match, "Begin!"

Takashi smiled a toothy grin, filled with malice as Shikyo's earlier thoughts were confirmed that killing him was the only thing Takashi had on his mind. Takashi unsheathed his katana, twirling it expertly before charging toward Shikyo, flash-stepping in the middle of his charge to decrease the distance that much faster and reappeared performing an over-arching strike aimed for Shikyo's head. Raising his staff as the sound of metal upon metal resounded through the area, Shikyo kicked his foot, planting his heel in the dead center of Takashi's chest and forcing him back.

Not taking waiting to see what his opponent did next, Shikyo rotated his staff between his hands, crossing it in front of his body as he flash-stepped to above Takashi, swinging his weapon down with such force that it created a crater in the ground upon impact...unfortunately Takashi had rolled out of the way, leaping into the air at the last moment. Shikyo leapt into the air after him, sending his reiatsu in waves through his body to increase his movement speed as he launched an attack toward Takashi's mid-section. His foe blocked the attack with his own blade before spinning around and attempting to cut Shikyo's head off.

Ducking under the attack he did exactly what Takashi wanted him to as he dropped low and performed a roundhouse kick into Shikyo's stomach that sent the shinigami hurtling toward the ground. Descending through the air, Shikyo heard Takashi announce the release command for his Zanpakuto, "Bleed Roozu!" A crimson light engulfed Takashi as his katana shifted into a curved scythe with a sharp spear-like point on the bottom end. Chuckling at first as he flipped the scythe upside down, aiming the speared end toward himself he burst into maniacal laughter as he sliced a thin cut in his own arm, allowing the blood to flow freely from the wound.

He's insane. Shikyo thought as he landed on the ground, watching in horrified awe at the terrifying scene unfolding before him. The blood leaked from the opening much faster than it should have, covering Takashi's arm before extending past his hand and forming a blade of sorts that held its shape together only due to Takashi's spiritual pressure. Launching the spear-tipped scythe at Shikyo, Takashi flash-stepped behind him as he leapt back from the attack, unable to turn fast enough to dodge the piercing effect of the blood-formed blade in his back.

Flash-stepping away from Takashi as he felt the wound on his back beginning to bleed, he was horrified as Takashi's reiatsu expanded from his body. Takashi extended his hand toward Shikyo, flinging his fist to the side as Shikyo felt his body thrown harshly into the ground. Takashi continued to laugh as he rose his hand in the air, Shikyo's body following suit before he was slammed back into the ground. "Roozu is the ultimate weapon," Takashi exclaimed. "Not only am I in fully control of my blood but when it's mixed with an opponents I can control their body!" Takashi summoned Shikyo toward him as he leapt and spun in the air, smashing his foot into Shikyo's face as the shinigami fell to the ground. "You have no hope of winning against me."

Shikyo remained motionless on the ground, his mind racing as he desperately attempted to think of someway to counter such an opponent. Takashi's laughter rang in his ears as he slowly stood up, golden energy slowly encasing his body as he announced, "Scatter the Sands Miku!" The emerald staff burst into sand as the release revealed the sun-colored blade. Sending the wave toward Takashi to obscure his vision, Shikyo flash-stepped into the dirt and slashed at Takashi's chest, the attack resulting in a surge of blood bursting from the wound, forming liquidly tentacles that wrapped themselves around Shikyo, forcing his arms to his side as Takashi pulled him an inch away from his face. "Die." The tentacles constricted, becoming tighter and tighter as Shikyo squirmed futilely to free himself. The crushing force only increased as Shikyo found it increasingly difficult to continue to inhale as the tentacles tightened after every release of breath. The pain in his lungs was indescribable as his eyes shuttered closed, losing consciousness as his mind drifted away.

Shikyo!

Shikyo opened his eyes as he realized that he was surrounded by darkness, the only source of light originating from Miku's shining form that floated above him. Shikyo stared intently at the spirit, in his eyes a fire grew as his memory of the battle returned to him. His opponent had outclassed him, catching him by surprise at his Zanpakuto's strength. Miku said nothing as she felt the determination within Shikyo's soul. He refused to give up, refused to succumb to death as he moved closer to his spirit's form. Miku herself felt the change within his mindset, nodding as she extended her hand toward the shinigami. Grabbing hold of her outstretched paw a surge of energy moved through Shikyo, filling him with a power he'd never felt before.

Takashi laughed as he turned to the proctor, "Looks like I'll be taking that position now!" His malicious merriment lasted only moments as he looked at the proctor, who merely gazed past him where Shikyo formally stood. Takashi turned his head to see Shikyo's body levitating off the ground, slowly at first before Shikyo's eyes shot open. His pupils filled with a golden light as an intense golden colored reiatsu grew from his body. The smile formally plastered on Takashi's face melted away as the spiritual power surrounding Shikyo continued to grow, exploding outwardly in the form of golden flames that encased Shikyo's body.

Sand converged upon Shikyo's blade, curving around it until it shifted to glass and formed an extended edge of Shikyo's blade. Takashi prepared to move into a defensive position but failed to react fast enough as Shikyo flash-stepped through his opponent, landing in front of the proctor with his blade extended downward to the ground. As he resealed the blade back into its emerald casing, silence descended upon the area in response to Takashi's head tilting to one side before falling off his body completely.

The proctor nodded a silent congratulations as Shikyo walked past him, the shinigami in attendance parting like the red sea as he moved through them, claiming his title as the true victor.

Shikyo wrote:

(This entire thread will be for fighting skill)

What happened there eh?

Anyways +2 to intelligence. +2 to spirit power

(OOC: Story-wise these events occurred before Shikyo was Vice-Captain. Stats-wise, I was going for Fighting Skill or maybe kidou...whatever is deemed appropriate will be appreciated.)

Shikyo stared at the ground, his back and legs straight as he bent at the waist in a bowing position as he awaited further instruction from the proctor.

"Everything looks in order." The proctor stated, breaking the previous silence the permeated the room. "You and your team have done well but you've only completed the first part of the assignment. The hollow you've captured is being detained in the lower room of building 3B, you are to take your team and guard that building. You are dismissed."

Shikyo's face scrunched in surprised confusion as he straightened his body, looking into the proctor's eyes. "Guard it?" He repeated. "From who?"

The proctor grinned a sly smile as he answered, "Team 4." With that, the proctor waved Shikyo out of the room, indicating that no further questions would be answered.

The shinigami exited the office, meeting the rest of his five man team outside.

"What did he say?" The only woman in his troop inquired.

"We have to go to building 3B and guard the hollow from any attacks." The faces of his team echoed Shikyo's only look of surprise as he merely walked through them, making his way toward the red bricked building on the other side of the training area. Knowing that there were only three points of entry, Shikyo stationed two of his men in the front and the remaining two members in the back, while he himself moved to the roof of the building. The setting sun reflected an array of colors over the horizon, the reds and oranges that splashed over the landscape creating an eerie calm before the inevitable storm of attack. He didn't have to wait long as he felt the clash of spiritual pressures from the back of the building. However there was only one unrecognizable reiatsu emitting from that area, so Shikyo knew that it was only a distraction. He was right as he soon after felt the reiatsu of a second invader from the front of the building only seconds before two shinigami appeared on either side of him on the roof.

The first had long brown hair, tied back in a pony-tail and wore a sleeveless black cloak reminiscent of those partaking in an assassination. The second lacked any hair at all but his dead, almost soulless gray eyes that glared defiantly at Shikyo told him that this was their leader. "I am Maganko, leader of Team 4." The second man stated, confirming Shikyo's hypothesis. "I understand it is your job to guard this building but it will go much smoother for you if you simply let us pass."

Shikyo stared incredulously at the man. He had to be joking. Any failed mission would immediately take him out of the running for Squad 10 vice-captain, and he wouldn't give up his goal at some mere request. He positioned himself in a defensive stance, indicating that he held no intention of giving up so easily. Maganko sighed as he motioned for the other man to attack. The movements came faster than Shikyo expected, but still not fast enough to catch him off guard. The man launched into a series of punches and kicks, each one aimed at Shikyo's face with calculated precision. Knocking aside a punch from the man's right arm with the back of his fist, Shikyo grabbed his arm and twisted as he stepped behind the attacker, holding him in a vulnerable position as he faced Maganko.

"I will give you the same option you gave me. Take your team and leave before this escalates."

Maganko stared intently at Shikyo, his eyes unwavering as it was very apparent that he was not going to call off the attack. Maganko flash-stepped toward the pair, eliminating the distance separating them as he aimed a powerful punch directly at the man's face whom Shikyo held. The man moved his head at the last second as the attack came inches from Shikyo's face, who had to release his prisoner as he pushed himself backward to avoid the attack.

Skidding backward on the gravel pavement of the roof, Shikyo built his spiritual pressure for a moment for releasing it as he charged back at Maganko, dropping low at the last moment as he performed a sweeping kick to knock the man's feet out from under him. Jumping up as he flipped forward, Shikyo planted the heel of his foot into his opponent's stomach. The second man launched into an attack once more, coming from the side as leapt into the air and attempted a round house kick that was blocked by Shikyo's hands. But the action of blocking the attack gave Maganko the opening he needed as he headbutted Shikyo, knocking the breath out of him as he fell to his knees for a second.

Maganko charged at the fallen Shikyo, but Shikyo concentrated his reiatsu into his palm as he announced, "Bakudo #14: Oil Slick!" The slippery black liquid emerged from the ground, covering the area and causing both Maganko and his cohort to lose their balance. Propelling himself into the air he performed the second part of his attack, "Hado #8: Blade of Flames!" Shikyo's reiatsu ejected from his palm, solidifying upon itself as it formed a lance that immediately burst into flames. Launching the spear at the ground, Shikyo covered his eyes as the impact of the fire on the oil caused an explosion that sent shockwaves into the air. As the smoke cleared Shikyo saw that both of his assailants were unconscious and nodded silently to himself.

At that moment the proctor appeared on the edge of the roof, accompanied by two shinigami bearing the medical badge of Squad 4 that flash-stepped to the fallen men and took them away.

"Congratulations Shikyo, You and you're team have completed this mission." The proctor stated, implying to Shikyo that his team had defeated their respective attackers. "You can return to your quarters and await further instruction."

+1.5 fighting skill
(apologies for the wait)