Haruki sat at his desk reading over reports, his mind drifted off every now and then.  Next to his stack of reports a plate of freshly made rice balls, his inability to eat and work at the same time made enjoying his nice little snack difficult to do.  Finally having finished the last form, he could finally munch on his long awaited snack.  Slowly reaching for one he stopped, noticing a recruit standing in his doorway. The boy was obviously shaken up. “Oh hello…” smiling. “Do you need my help?” Motioning for the boy to take a seat.  Keeping eye contact, he watched as the boy took a seat across from him. His eyes moving from the recruit to the rice balls, finally Haruki grabbed one. But listened closely to the message from Aika. “Training grounds.” He cracked a smile, standing up rice ball in one hand with his free one he reached under his desk grabbing his zanpakutu. “Take the day off…” bitting into the rice ball, and careless dropping it back on the plate.  In his mind he wondered if he could use his voice of reason, but the thought of a spar slightly intrigued him.  Wasting no time, opening his office window he disappeared with a single shunpo. Shortly after appearing approximately six feet away. With a smile he called out his vice captains name. “Aika Chan…”  it was written all over her face something has irritated her. “Would you prefer talking to me?” Curiously asking, while strapping his zanpakuto to his back, his eyes stayed locked on her. Almost if he were anticipating Aika’s next move.  “But I’m gonna assume you’re up for something to blow off some steam.” Questioning her with a smile, yet at the same time speaking with a serious tone.  “Perhaps a spar?” Suggested Haruki still smiling. “Could allow me to test out something new I’ve added onto the infirmary..” he squealed in excitement, appearing much  too goofy for a captain. 

OOC: hopefully this reply looks good. 

A gust blew Aika's curly hair as she began to tie her hair back, signalling her Captain's arrival. With bobby pins between her teeth, she looked up at his frankly goofy expression, and rolled her eyes. He is way too excited about this healing stuff, she thought to herself as she pinned her hair back, slowly enough so that he would be able to feel the apathy about healing rolling off of her in waves. Moments passed before she finally spoke. "We both know that I don't want to talk, Haruki-kun," Aika said, false notes of glee in her voice. The glee very quickly disappeared as she crossed her arms. "Well, your perception must have been something that helped you get so far in life. Don't hold back on me, now."

Soft popping noises filled the arena as she cracked her neck and fingers, followed by the schink of metal against leather as she drew her sword. The blade was too short for the tip to drag along the ground as Aika began to move, very slowly. Each of her steps was deliberate, and an internal battle of fury was raging. She wanted to lunge, rend him into pieces, and beat that smile off of his face, but instead, she pushed the urges down as she circled. A distant crack of thunder echoed in the most distant corner of her mind, as she growled quietly, "Strike, Raikō."

As the word was said, the sky darkened to an ominous and imposing grey. The clouds that appeared above them grew pregnant, before opening with a gentle rain. Thunder cracked, and a bolt of lightning struck Aika, her sword glowed as it melted down along her arms and became a pair of silver gauntlets. "Let's do this." The words were barely audible over the sounds of thunder, as Aika launched herself forward to punch Kaien in the stomach.

Haruki's focus locked on her expression and he rolled his eyes – a smile still remaining on his face. He watched her closely as if he were anticipating an attack. He was unsurprised at her refusal to speak rather than fight. 

“Aika-chan,” he called, “has anyone in the Gotei 13 told you the nickname I was given in the academy?” 

He readied himself for battle. “Good perception...” Haruki muttered in return. “Perhaps – who knows? Maybe I'm just lucky,” he teased. 

From her movements and the sound of her cracking bones, Haruki could feel Aika's rage. Her intent to fight was clear. He nodded in response when she told him not to hold back. “Let's begin,” he said with an amused smile. 

He hadn't noticed that she unsheathed her Zanpakuto until he heard her release command - “shikai...”

The sky darkened in an instant, rain pouring down upon them as thunder cracked above. Haruki watched it all unfolding, amused. Lightning struck his opponent's weapon and melted away its sealed form, revealing Aika's shikai. “Don't hold back!” he shouted, but even he could hardly hear himself over the pouring rain. 'Let's do this,' he thought, and she came at him. Reacting quickly, Haruki side stepped her lunge to her right. Although he hadn't been hit, her gauntlet tore through his lab coat. 

He kept his eyes locked on Aika as he removed his own Zanpakuto. “Consume...” he gripped it tightly with both hands. A fiery yet ominous glow enveloped the blade, “Kagutsuhi...” His Zanpakuto was a blade no longer. In its released form, it became a pair of red, glove-like gauntlets. Flames engulfed them, burning bright red. Haruki balled his hands into fists, twisting his torso to bring the right toward her cervical spine and his left toward her ribs. 

Talk, talk, talk. She didn't know his nickname. She didn't particularly care about it, either. Aika knew that she either had to win this quickly, or find a way to keep and hold an advantageous position. As her fist only found air and the satisfying tear of his stupid lab coat, she grimaced. Heat blossomed behind her, and she cursed internally. Widen your focus, Aika! She thought to herself as she moved out of the way of his right hand, only to be met with the left. The force of the impact pushed her backward, and she tasted blood as she bit her cheek. The crack of thunder sounded again, and light seared her eyes as lightning struck her. The energy coursed through her body, making her hair stand on end and goosebumps appear across her damp skin.

What do I know about Haruki? Aika thought to herself as she commenced circling once more. One. He fights with fire. The rain should help there. Two. Hand-to-hand. He's similarly proficient to me, but I think I'm slightly faster? Three. The big one. He can use kido. I can't. That's... that's an issue, right there. Can't give him time to think. The thoughts swirled through her mind, lightning-fast. She sprang at him again, throwing a feinting left hook, before aiming an uppercut into his stomach.

His first strike missing was no real loss, as the second one stuck Aika like he intended it too. In his mind Haruki pondered, the difference in their skills. Aika, and I both use hakuda, and our shikai are both similar.. both taking the form of gauntlets...I don't think she has bankai, or uses kidou. He thought to himself, keeping his eyes locked on her.

With her lighting speed, Haruki barely followed Aika's movements. speed  It hit him then, she was faster.  The left hook flying towards him, on instinct his body moved to block it. "No.. Wrong move..." muttering, the uppercut slamming into her desired target. Pain shot trough out his stomach, a feeling he hadn't experienced since training with his sensei.  This was enough to push him back a few inches. His smile still remined, almost as if he was taunting Aika. Under his breath it sounded as if he was chanting a spell, one meant for a hado. "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!" Despite Knowing Aika had a slight speed advantage, he shunpo'd straight forward making it appear as if he intended to attack directly.  Opening the palm of his right hand, with a few quick words the spell was done. "Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado num.." Disappearing, and reappearing by right side, then her left attempting to throw his sense of direction off.  Haruki's appeared behind her shouting "Hado number 33." Only to disappear, in a quick motion, he  came from in front again."Sokatsui." Switching hands mid spell,  hoping she would go for his right. Suddenly, blue flames discharged from his left palm  aimed at Aika's abdomen.

Her eyes flashed as he fell for the feint. The satisfying feeling of his flesh bending beneath the force of her punch made her grin as she darted away again, unwilling to remain in close quarters for too long. Aika looked up at Haruki, and felt the expression fall from her face at the sight of his grin. What do I have to do to get rid of that damn smile? Knee him in the 'nads? Punch him again? Her thoughts were interrupted once again as she saw his lips moving, but the sound of his words was negated in her ears by yet another peal of thunder. Infuriatingly, lightning struck her once again, blinding her for just a second too long. All she registered when her vision cleared was a burning sensation just northward of her stomach, and the smell of burning cotton. Aika looked down to see her crop top burning, and looked up at Haruki with a snarl.

A string of profanities escaped her as she darted toward him once more, all anger. As Aika moved, she had no idea of what she was going to do. Her body moved before her thoughts could catch up, and it was only once she was face-to-face with her captain once more that she realised what she was going to do. Aika pulled up short, and hit Haruki with the most hate-filled expression she could muster, before slamming her gauntlets together as she yelled, "Jishin!" A crack like thunder emanated from the action, and the shockwave pushed her backward. The thunder also disguised her yelp of pain as she felt one of her ribs snap.

Much to his surprise his plan worked, his smile remained.  Even though Aika was clearly agitated by it, and by her snarl only confirmed his suspicions. The scent of burning cotton hit him, it was unsettling, and the strong urge to heal his vice captain, was toying with his mind. However offering to do so would only be an insult to her, he kept smiling. Disrespecting her was not an option

"Oh my..." His immediate response, the string of profinite she used. "Seem a bit flustered." He teased, using this tactic to upset her more. This was his best chance to see her real combat abilities, even if it meant pulling out her anger. The end result he aimed for was to build a stronger trust and bond with Aika. "I wonder... Think you can force my hand, and make me use bankai?" Adding fuel to the fire, knowing this might just get his face punched in.

A hate filled expression from her was proof enough his plan might be working, her Aika's gauntlets slamming together. Haurki barely heard as she yelled jishin a sudden crack of thunder, and shockwave which sent him sliding back nearly six feet.  A small gasp broke free, only momentarily removing his smile. His ribs ached, the force Aika's shockwave was clearly enough to bruise possible crack one. Aika's counter was unexpected.  Once again his smile returned. "Well I guess I should try to show my shikai off.... Though the rain..." He complained, feeling the water run down his face, the flames around his gauntlets nearly extinguished.

"Now the real fun begins..." Lunging at her, the pain from his own rib was a nuisance.  Swigging  both arms at her, he yelled. "Ryuukou" In an instance,  a ball of fire roughly 10 inches wide  launched from the palms of his gauntlets. Sent hurdling towards her  face. This was meant to be a distraction, Haruki shunpo'd to her right side appearing, only inches away from her. "Touaika" Mumbling under his breath. This move made the ground under her feet warm up, as a  fire would soon start to form. Haurki knew what would come next, soon a pillar of fire would burst from the ground and shoot into the sky. He knew he risked getting burnt a little himself, since the move required him to be close. He felt a little winded, his overuse of shunpo showed, and using two abilities back to back life this would take a toll.

OOC:shikai abilities  

Does he want to die? He's asking for it. Aika thought to herself as she held herself with one arm. Rain slid down her cheeks, obscuring her vision as lightning flashed again. The strike felt harder as it coursed through her this time, and she couldn't help but wonder why. Either way, his words were designed to rile her up, and she hated to admit that it was working. Her eyes narrowed, in part due to the rain, as he released his shikai and threw a fireball at her face. She sidestepped it quickly, though it singed her hair. The smell of burning hair filled her nostrils, and Aika saw red. He wasn't quite fast enough to escape her tracking, and she rounded on him, almost completely oblivious to his activation of his ability. "You burned my hair?!" Aika snarled at him, rising to her full height.

Her next speech was cut off, as she realised that the ground beneath her was heating up and burning her through the soles of her shoes and into her feet. "You motherfu-!" Aika yelped as she leapt out of the fire, the word cut off by the roar of the fire. Her shoes, leggings, and top were all burned beyond repair, thanks to her not moving quite quickly enough. Hastily, she kicked her burned shoes off, the rubber of the soles melted and stinking. As the fire died down, Aika managed to steal a glance at Haruki, and she realised that in this moment, she had an advantage. In a flash, she was by his side, panting heavily. Almost without thinking, she brought one foot down, aimed at one of his, then aimed her knee to impact his groin, before finishing the combination with a right hook aimed at his cheek.

From first glance it appeared as if she managed to avoid the fireball,  it was then the scent of burnt hit his nose. His eyes stayed glued on her. Observing her actions, he wondered how long it would take her to notice his next attack. It was slightly surprising she hadn't felt the heat "Wat..." his sentence cut short, his fire pillar worked like planned,  for a moment he felt bad.

Haruki watched her leaping from the fire, her cursing cut off by the roar of his fire. "Oh my, looks like I burnt your hair, and clothes..." his smile remained, from Aika's view it would appeared as if he were using it as a way to taunt her.  For a instance his guard dropped, Haruki took a few deep breath. His focus not on her, it was then when he felt Aika's knee slam into his groin. Haruki dropped, her left hook nailing him in his cheek. His eyes wide open, his smile gone. Her first attack, and second had dropped him to his knees. He gasped for air, knowing  this must've been payback for Aika's burnt hair. 

"Oh my..." gasping for air as he spoke, for the first time since arrving. Haruki flared his reiastu, causing the air around him to grow stiff and heavy. His warm and welcoming smile gone, a much more menacing  smile formed. "And to think I'm called the monster... I think I should revise my nickname..." Forcing himself to stand, the pain where her knee made contact ached. 

"Time to show me what you've got..." Stepping back into his fighting stance, extending his right arm and pointing at her. "Bakudo number 66... Rikujokoro.."  From his right index finger, a park of yellow energy come from it sending six thin rods at Aika's midsection. Haruki leapt towards her, if his kido managed to bind her in place, he would aim a knee for her abdomen channeling reiastu into it to make the impact much more devastating 

Good. He's finally stopped smiling. Aika thought, watching him gasp for air with satisfaction. She felt his reiatsu flare, and gasped for breath. I hate it when he does that. Her body ached as she looked down at herself, seeing her clothes shredded and her bare feet. "It's not my fault you have a glaring weakness that I do not," Aika growled, clenching her fists as he stood. Was it time to dash back in again? She didn't think so. Not quite yet. Another boom of thunder sounded in the sky, and she looked up, just in time to see the lightning coming down from the sky and hit her gauntlets. Once again, she was rendered blind by the flash, and so didn't see the bakudo until it was too late. The beams of light hit her hard and pushed her backward. Aika tried to move, and fight off her restraints, but realised very quickly that she was immobilised. As Haruki's knee impacted her abdomen, she doubled over in pain.

Aika swore loudly, and glared up at her captain. I hate this. I hate this so much. I hate him, and I'm going to kill him. Those thoughts, as well as other profanities swirled around her head. A second bolt hit her, and that, coupled with her bonds, irritated her enough that she was seeing red. Her body hurt. She was furious. He was mocking her, and she hated him for it. "Fine. I didn't want to do this, but I guess I have to," Aika said through gritted teeth, a powerful scowl across her lips. Her dark eyes locked with his. "Break them all, Arashi no Owari." As she released her zanpakutō's bankai form, lightning struck again. The ensuing explosion blasted her back ten feet. When the dust cleared, Aika's eyes glowed a blue-white colour. Her hair crackled with electricity, and her body was covered in silver. "You want to play, Haruki? Let's play." Aika moved as fast as her new speed would allow, jumped in the air, and flicked a leg out in a roundhouse kick aimed at his head.

His annoying smiled once again formed, this time as if he was again trying to anger her. "Oh my..." He teased. "I guess I don't know my own strength." he remarked, seeing Aika doubled over in pain.

It was easy to hear grom her swearing, and her glare alone. The plan to get her riled up worked, and likely more than expected. "Do what?" he asked, almost puzzled. Aika was already using shikai, and he had no knowledge of his Vice Captain having bankai. To his surprise he watched,  hearing the release command, and the name of her bankai. The lighting strikes drowning out her voice.

"Bankai?" his smile disappearing. "I guess the play is over.." Her new speed was fast, too fast. Haruki knew he couldn't didge or block in time. But kido would work."Bankudo 73 Toza..." it was too late, the kick nailed him in the head sending him flying back nearly ten feet.  Haurki lied flat on his back, his vision bleared a bit, he stared blankly into the sky. Rain falling on his face, he watched the lighting flash.

"Looks like I got what I wanted.... Bankai..." Slamming his fist into the ground, cracking it. His reiastu flared once again, but not nearly intense like it was. "Aika... You're truly a powerful Vice Captain..." Standing to his feet. "I'm lucky you're part of the 4th.." He complemented  her. "Time to show you this..." Bankai... Kagutsuchi No Jakka. his gauntlets started to glow, the appearance of them changed. His gauntlets were much bigger,  they come up to passed his elbow, the fingers were now bladed. The size alone even without the flames the impact from them would be more than enough to deal damage  

Her lunged forward aiming for her head, Haruki aimed the palm of, he grabbed  at her trying to clutch her head within the grasp of the bladed fingers. If this worked, he would follow up by trying to slam her backwards into the ground.

OOC: sorry for slow reply. If I need to redo it just let me know and I will.