A day to get away

It wasn't as effective as he hoped, but it did make the man hesitate. The shunpo had closed the distance for him to use Ju-jak, and now he was ready to take the large man head on. Cass' short pause was all he needed to channel his energies to his other hand. Although his arm hurt to move he'd knew to expect a two pronged attack. A style that Arawn himself used, but aside from that he found he had little in common with Cass. He wondered how this fight had progressed if he had brought his own weapon. By chance they would have had a very decent exchange. Since that wasn't the case he'd do what he could. His first act was to move his right hand to intercept the incoming blade. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but that's what the glow was for. Arawn had focused his spiritual power to his palms. Another technique of Ju-Jak the defensive branch of Sa Shin Mu. He kept his hand open as the razor like edge came at it. The blade would not touch as flow of reiryoku protected him. While his right went for the sword his left went for the sheath. Less dangerous to be sure, but no less important. Since his left was injured he was thankful it was the wooden club and not the blade to defend against. While he worked to block both attacks he launched one of his own. With both hand occupied it fell upon his legs to dish out some punishment. Up came Arawn's right leg. It shot forward to kick at Cass' stomach.

To say that he was surprised by Arawn's blocks would be a massive understatement; he had grabbed both Cass' sword and the sheath aiming to take out his leg. As soon as the sheath met any resistance it splintered leaving half in Arawn's hand and half in his own. Well there is a plus side at least I have both his hands occupied so at least no more air shots to worry about- Cass' thoughts were cut short as Arawn's knee plowed into his midsection making him grunt as the air was forced out of his lungs. Staggering backwards Cass gasped quickly trying to get the air back that had been stolen from him.

That was a basic mistake...I should of figured that he would of found someway to counter...if I had blocked his legs he probably would of hit me with a headbutt. And then there is his glowing hand to worry about, I have a feeling that I don't want to take a shot from it. Cass frowned, he had only one option left...it wasn't much of a plan but its all he had. It's going to take time, but that probably won't be a problem seeing as he has let me make the first move time and time again. Closing his eyes Cass focused, tapping his spiritual energy like he had practiced every day in class. His reserves weren't much compared to that of the shinigami, but he had enough...if just barely. Straightening both arms out in front of him Cass spoke calmly and clearly, “May the tears of those killed, of those harmed by those of wickedness deliver their judgement upon those around. Hado, Number Ten: Rain of Pain!”

Spiritually infused rain started to pour in the dojo, a few of the students cried out as they were hit. The range was much larger than Cass' had realized, but still he stood in the middle of a circle of rain 60 feet across. The effort though had drained him and he couldn't hold the rain for long before it stopped leaving nothing more than a shallow puddle on the ground. Cass grinned, “Now...the fun part.” Cass half crouched half fell to his knees inside of his dry little circle and pointed his left hand towards the puddle slowly creeping in towards him.

“Hado...Number Four, White lighting.” Cass' face went white as he was drained to nearly the point of blacking out, but through sheer force of will he kept up right watching the lightning arc throughout the water.

It would seem both parties were surprised that that the sheath broke. Even though he had thwarted the attack impact sent shudder through the wounded arm. Arawn wasn't much of a gambler, but he was rather lucky it had shattered. At best he would have only slowed the attack and reduced the damage. In this case he had stopped it completely. His only attack landed and he was no worse for wear. He hoped he had proved his point that his injury would not hinder him in the slightest. while his kick had landed it still wasn't enough to topple the tall student. Arawn quietly considered using another technique on Cass. The last time he had attempted to use the more offense skills of Sa Shin Mu, his master had intervened. It was highly doubtful that Miyazakii or Kenichi would stop him. Well it was possible that Miyazakii might know, but could the older man stop him? That was questionable. Master Sung looked just as old and yet the old man had bested him on many occasions. Rather than tempt fate he would instead use normal hukada arts on the student. As he took a step forward Cass had already began to chant. It took a second to realize what he was doing as well as what he was saying.

In his mind he finished the chant. Too late. Arawn barely shielded his face a the acidic downpour began. Luck was a fickle mistress. While it had favored the shinigami with the broken scabbard and his left, it did not favor him now. Ju-Jak was the defensive branch of his art. It worked by pooling the spiritual energy into the hands and releasing it constantly in a focused stream. A cushion of reiatsu that allowed the user to block objects. It's strength was in fact it's weakness. In focusing on the hands the rest of the body defenses were weakened. While he could block a sword with his hand, any hit to any other part of his body would be damaging than normal. His body defenses low the acid bit at his clothing and then into his skin. If not for Ju-Jak the acid might had been no more than a rug burn. Still he did his best from letting the hazardous liquid enter his eyes or mouth. As his flesh was eaten at he could hear the foul hiss. His screams were met with other students as they too were caught up in the rain. The pain of the acid was enough for him to break his concentration ending his technique, but the damage had already been done. To think he would use such a wide area attack spell. Didn't he know he would hit the other students as well. Was he really willing to go that far just to win and prove himself? It was hard to tell what the man was thinking, but Arawn going to make him pay dearly. The rain had stopped, but remnants of the acid remained. His skin and uniform still burned. Furiously he wiped the liquid from his face and looked to where he had last seen Cass. Sure enough he was kneeling on the floor. Had the spell been too much for him? Apparently not as he cast his second one upon the liquid pooling on the ground. There was a flash as the energy danced from the tip of his finger. Arawn felt it almost instantly; electricity danced through his wet body. Although Ju-Jak had ended he wasn't ready for the newer assault. Luck, if you would call it that, was with him. The man had exhausted himself with his spell and the area was large. Electricity always follows the path of least resistance. With his spiritual power returned Arawn wasn't that path. The lighting stopped arcing through his body and he staggered forward. Burned then shocked he wasn't in the best of shape, but he could still stand. He couldn't see it, but his body was smoking slightly. The bio-leech, the small organism on across his nose, had stop working from the electricity. He reminded himself to improve the system later. Until this he would have to deal with blurred vision. But he didn't need to see far as he walked towards Cass. "That wasn't very nice." he said. "You know you would have done better to shoot it at me directly, or at least at my feet. Still I've been hit with worse." he finished as he stepped into the dry patch of the floor. The shinigamai recalled his many failed experiments with his stun grenade. He kicked at the downed man. "So to get me, you hit everyone." Although he couldn't see them, he could hear the groans of student caught by the combo.

All Cass could do was look up at Arawn as he walked to him, now with Cass on his knees he was forced to look up to the man. When he spoke Cass thought he could detect a hint of anger on the voice, “The kido had a much larger area of effect than I anticipated, their injuries weren't intended.” Cass couldn't move even if he wanted to at the moment, I was stupid, acting out of anger, I could of hurt or even killed the other students with that stunt. Cass frowned knowing he was beaten, the shinigami was angry and his next attack probably wouldn't be pulled back, he had not only aimed to attack him, but he had brought an innocent party into the fight as well. He had become a monster, the very monster he didn't want to become, I guess the drive for power is in us all.

Cass tried to get to his feet but his legs wouldn't obey him, he frowned, Why won't my body obey me; as much as I try to move I can't. I am going to lose this if I can't stand up...if I lose everything I have worked for will be for nothing. Cass couldn't believe it he had bet everything and now he was about to lose. “I guess...after all that...not wanting to ever fight...then agreeing to fight only to show that I am not a coward...I became that monster I didn't want to be. The kind of monster I said I was going to stop, so now I ask you to end this. End this so I can keep my word and leave the shino academy.” Cass lowered his head and waited for the final blow, a smile slowly spread across his lips, “It was an honor to spar against you Arawn.”

Despite his bravado Arawn's muscles felt like jelly. The shock wasn't enough to render him unconscious, but it had wrecked havoc on his system none the less. There was some involuntary twitching and soreness not assocciated with the burns he had suffered. He looked down at the prostrating student and then other to the old man still sitting on the far side. The old man nodded then gave a small smile. He took a moment before he stood up.
"The battle is decided!" The old man called out. It seemed redundant to state the obvious. Slowly he made his way towards to the two combatants. There was still much acidic water on the ground, but the old man walked on the air. His feet were nearly a millimeter above the hazardous surface. Seconds later he stepped into the dry ring that the two occupied. "I had asked you not to destroy my dojo, shame I didn't ask him the same." the man said shaking his head." He surveyed the damage that had been done to the flooring then to the students themselves. "Kenichi, do call the medics for the students. Class will be dismissed for the day." The dark haired man nodded and went about seeing who needed the most medical attention. "Now what shall we do with you? As promised you shall now be expelled from the Academy." He said as he looked down at the kneeling man. "It's sad to say, but having just convictions is nothing if you lack strength to defend them. If you lack power you should use your words and mind to protect those principles. But words alone are never enough. There is no shame in being weak, nor is there evil in being strong. It's all about the man behind the blade." The old man leaned down and patted the former student on the shoulder. "When you return to Rukongai I pray you can find what it is you lack." One of his eyes opened as gazed at Cass' bowed form.

The next day Cass carried everything he owned with him in a small sling across his back, his academy robes were gone and now he wore only the robes of a civilian of the Rukongai. His asauchi sat at his waist tucked tightly into the belt he wore; looking up at the walls of the academy a single tear rolled down his cheek for everything he had given up thanks to his pride and anger. If I had just been humble enough to go to class in the beginning I would never of met Kenichi and I would of never had that bout with Arawn. Turning Cass faced the path leading back out towards the Rukongai, in the distance he could see the city. “Guess I will have to find another way to fight for those who can't fight for themselves.” Walking down the path Cass wondered about where his future would take him, if he would ever make it back into the academy or if he would just waste away into the streets of Soul Society.

[OOC: This thread is ended for Cass]

After all the injured were taken to be treated there remained only Arawn, Kenichi, and Miyazakii in the damaged training area. The old man had reset the board and they were resuming their game. As the instructor predicted Arawn lost, but to his credit it took seven moves rather than the promised four. It was the shinigami's turn to return the pieces to their starting positions. Kenichi walked about the room salving what equipment he could from the acid attack. He had told the uninjured students help him move the items to the new dojo they would be using. For the next few weeks the current one would need to be repaired.
"So do you regret fighting him?" the old man asked as the red haired man finished his task. The man shook his head in response. That action did cause him some pain. He had been given some bandages and salve for his burns, but couldn't do any sudden motions. Perhaps he had some regrets, but not in fighting the student. "He has potential to say the least."
"Indeed." Arawn muttered. "Still I'm not the one who made the wager." he finished his fingers still placing the red and blue pieces on the board.
"True." Miyazakii chuckled as he stroked his beard. "You could have gone easy on him, but that would have been much worse. There's nothing worst than false confidence. It was good for you to smash him head on." The old man seemed satisfied with the outcome of the battle. "People like him when kicked down come back stronger than ever."
"Come back?" Arawn asked puzzled. He looked up to see the old man's grinning face with one eye open. His confusion increased. As far as he knew being expelled from the Academy was pretty much the end for any prospective Shinigami. It was was worse than failing all courses or hitting an instructor with a kido. The chances of you returning were equal to a snowball's chance in hell.

The man's eye closed and he moved his blue piece up two hexes. Arawn kept his eyes trained on the man, but moved his piece as well.
"Rather than write up an expulsion form, I merely submitted leave request in his name." The old man stated as he contemplated his next move. It took a second for the words to register, but he couldn't help smiling. The crafty old man. A leave of absence was allowed to students. Of course it required a teacher's recommendation which wasn't easy to come by. At most they gave six months for such things. "When he's ready there will be a place for him to finish what he started."
"I hope, you're right about him." Arawn replied "Not everyone can get back up when they fall."
"I have a nose for these things." said the old man. "Trust me." The shinigami only shrugged. There were no absolutes, anything was indeed possible. It was all up to Cass in the end. And who knows what anyone was capable of? "Your turn." Miyazakii said.