Toe to Toe

Prior to squad zero going forth with their plan and heading down to soul society...

"Is it really a good idea bringing him with us to face Reiō? What happens if he tries to absorb the fragment within Kuroi as well?" Tenjiro pondered, as he stood side by side with Ichibe before the meetup.

"You worry too much." Ichibe exclaimed, placing his hand atop Tenjiro's shoulder. "Kuroi is aware of how he differs to other shinigami, and it's because of his fundamental difference that he is necessary for our strategy. There is no one else like him that could even stand a chance in a one versus one against Reiō because of the fragment he has. Besides, fragments that realize themselves into separate entities will be harder for him to simply reabsorb back into himself." Ichibe explained...

"This power... return it." Reiō exclaimed in a calm but stern voice as he looked at Kuroi.

"Sorry, no can do." Kuroi tauntingly replied with a smirk. The royal guard clapped his hands with one another in a praying manner, before pulling both hands down and exerting his reiatsu, summoning an array of orange cubes that sprouted simultaneously around the soul king.

"Ura Hadō: Jigoku no kusari (Chains of Hell)!" Kuroi shouted before crimson portals appeared in the sky all around Reiō in front of the cubes, chains flying out of them, converging on to the divine entity's body. A second later, Reiō was seemingly trapped in position.

Kuroi flash-stepped to different locations in a circular motion around the soul king, leaving space-time barriers behind him before taking distance again and crouched as he placed his right palm on the air he stood on: "Ura Hadō: Jigoku emaki - Kuro Kumo Isago (Hell scroll - hell of black sand)". Particles of black sand began to surround the soul king emerging from Kuroi's position, leaving him engulfed in what felt like a sandstorm, each particle emitting a small blinding light when looked at directly obstructing his vision simultaneously. The royal guard performed several hand symbols before striking the air beneath him again with his palm as he used: "Ura Hadō: Jigoku emaki - Korō jigoku rōyakan doro nashi (Hell scroll - hell of foxes and wolves)". In replacement of the space-time barriers he had placed beforehand, large reiatsu based foxes and wolves formed, moving with great haste around the soul king, ready to attack at Kuroi's demand, the guard heavily breathing after having to use such taxing techniques one after another.

Just as Kuroi had thought he had the soul king where he wanted him, able to deal a lethal blow, he was stunned as he watched the sky above them turn dark grey as the clouds converged upon one another. Large quincy bows formed above the sandstorm before sending colossal arrows that homed in each of the creatures, destroying them entirely in one hit to Kuroi's surprise. Despite not being able to see the creatures directly and their reiatsu being concealed, the soul king could feel their presence with certainty. After destroying them, a large blue light showered upon the area around the soul king, crashing straight into the barriers beneath, this time failing to pierce through. Kuroi covered his eyes due to the vibrant bright nature of the light, flash-stepping to a safe distance to avoid taking a direct hit by whatever that light was.

"Dammit." He uttered to himself as he looked at Reiō, free of the binding chains and all the sand from his previous technique absent. "To think you could do all this without even lifting a single finger, impressive. I guess I've got my work cut out..." Kuroi exclaimed, failing at trying to hide his disappointment in his techniques failing so easily. The guard recomposed himself, exhaling one large breath before exerting his reiatsu, his outfit flailing in the wind; the soul king watching him with no change in his blank expression.

"Two can play that game." Kuroi boldly exclaimed, a new unfounded confidence in his voice. Within an instant, he flash-stepped around the soul king, he being slow to turn and react to Kuroi's movements as he punched the air towards the king's direction. He continued in a frenzy of attacks, punching at the air at several locations around Reiō, their effect delayed as the soul king's facial expression finally changed to shock as he felt an overwhelming pressure from the air pulsing in quick succession continuously towards him, trapping his body in place. At last the soul king reacted, raising his hand momentarily after as he used his powers of stagnation to freeze the attack in it's tracks.

Within the seireitei, Ichibe seemed to be back to normal as Tenjiro healed his wound completely and restored the lost blood.

"Whew, thanks. I guess I shouldn't have been so impulsive." Ichibe exclaimed, laughing to himself.

"You think!?" Tenjiro rhetorically replied, annoyed by the careless attitude of the monk.

"Well now that you've got me back on my feet, I guess you should go help out above there... before it's too late." Ichibe stated, pointing to the barrier...

"Too late." Kuroi stated, as he flash-stepped behind the soul king, side-eyeing him. "Banka-" he began to say as he was stabbed right through the chest from behind, turning to see the soul king with his fist through his body. "What the!?" He asked, spurting blood from his mouth, confused by the events unfolding the way they did. Foolishly, the royal guard had assumed that because of the soul king's hatred for the shinigami race, he was above using the zanpakuto abilities of one but in that moment, he had fallen victim to Kyoka Suigetsu's effect and failed to realize where the real soul king was. As Reiō pulled his arm from out of his body, he watched Kuroi fall to the barrier, blood flowing out of his body and his death imminent. However, to the king's surprise Kuroi's fighting spirit seemed to be abnormal as he tried to compose himself, beginning to heal himself as he stopped the bleeding for now.

This however enraged the soul king as he closed one eye, raising his hand before swinging it down, a large reiatsu blade forming that would cleave the royal guard in two and kill him without mercy. Just as the blade was about to hit the stuck guard, a rushing wave of water swept Kuroi away just in time. Even the captains noted how overwhelming the clash of spiritual pressures were within the seireitei at the moment and that that last attack by the soul king would've been strong enough to split the seireitei in two without the barrier there.

Flash-stepping in front of the soul king, Tenjiro Kirinji planted his zanpakuto down as he declared: "My turn..."