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No response to his question is given– at least, a verbal one. As an answer, the captain is instead met with an unfathomable pressure, one that weighs down on his small, yet mighty frame. What was felt before as the lieutenant's distress call is now amplified on the blonde nearly tenfold, causing the boy to grit his teeth in strain to keep himself standing. Sweat droplets form on the young one’s forehead, a symptom that would be a kindness in comparison to the boasting of this raw strength. He struggles to look up to the unconscious Nibui and instead catches the attention of the evershifting pool of tendrils, now slowly inching their way towards Yū.
“N-Nibui…”
… the captain calls out warily, now realizing the roots to the left of him, to the right of him, and now behind him, are all moving together in unison– predators circling their prey. His call for aid for a split second seems to be proven successful, as the roots suddenly halt for a moment. However, shortly after, Yū would realize his plea would fall on deaf ears. ‘Huf… huf… I’ve got to stop him...’ he decides in a whisper, outstretching his hand as if trying to reach the lethargic lieutenant.
All at once, the roots shoot toward the wary captain, aiming to either pierce through his flesh or drag him into the pit Nibui languidly hangs over. What little light that once filled the cavern and its entryway is now completely shrouded by the encroaching vines, robbing him of sight of the lieutenant, and very soon, his sight in general.
A vibrant blue suddenly surrounds Yū, encasing himself instantly in a cubed barrier. The branches’ path is halted, but rather than turn back, they now surround the barrier at all angles, enveloping it until all the young captain can see is the familiar blue, and the darker blue shadow of the roots that bundle his creation. Suddenly, the blonde drops to one knee, the overwhelming and unrelenting pressure now weighing heavily on his shoulders. His otherwise Unwavering Spirit proves futile in the presence of Nibui Ueki… but Yū is unsure why. Could it be due to their relative proximity to each other? An external third party that had factored into this weakness that the captain was unaware of? Or was Nibui simply capable of harnessing this much... raw power? While his barrier can withstand the brawn of the roots’ tight grasp for the time being, the strain is evident enough and Yū understands he can’t remain passive and expect to walk out of this with both of their lives.
Between labored breaths, his arm raises again and his palm rests gently on the barrier’s surface directly in front of him.
Bakudō #9: Hōrin!
… Yū proclaims, an orange energy now circling around his open palm. An otherwise low-level spell, when utilized by an affirmed kido master, its properties and capacity for destruction become limitless. At once, a hole the size of the captain’s palm opens in the barrier as the orange energy shoots straight forward to Nibui’s assumed position. The roots immediately dive for the hole, having patiently waited for their prey to show enough vulnerability to make their final onslaught. However, their journey is met at an end as lightning wildly shoots out from the orange-hued tendril. Innumerable bolts extend from the coil, simultaneously illuminating the space around him and striking at the foreign vines. Wood splinters into thousands of pieces, but the roots’ barrage is relentless; all it craves is blood, blood, and more blood, virtually disregarding the spell’s primary purpose.
Undisturbed, the orange tendril continues on its short journey to Nibui, finding its target in seconds. It curves around the shinigami’s back, cleanly slicing through the thick bundles of roots that grew from the bark patches on his flesh. Just as before, the lightning spiralling around the tendril splinters the surrounding wood for meters before it fully grapples Nibui’s body. The zanpakutō’s hilt still embedded partially in his right arm suffers a similar fate; The chaotic lightning mercilessly incinerates the portions of bark that attached itself to his flesh, while simultaneously searing the lieutenant’s skin. However, this would be a small price to pay in order to separate the weapon from its wielder.
With Nibui fully swaddled in the kidō spell, Yū squeezes his eyes shut and lets out one final roar in exasperation, the strand’s grip tightening and electrocuting the immobile lieutenant. Suddenly, the roots up to this point that had been relentless in their attempt to break the captain’s barricade, now cease in movement. The crushing spiritual pressure now subsides; Smoke emanates from Nibui’s frame, his sword now falling languidly to the ground. The roots that decorate every inch of the cavern and the captain’s surroundings make their immediate retreat, skulking back into the fallen bokken. As lifeless as the sword’s fall, the swordsman too collapses onto the cold, cave floor. First, the lieutenant falls onto his knees, and then he folds backwards and just before his head makes an abrupt introduction with the bedrock floor, Yū's left knee slides under, simultaneously rescuing him from a nasty concussion– as well, as swiftly propping his head up to begin immediate medical treatment. An emerald color burns outwards from the captain's palms; There's no time to think or reflect, it is only time to act. One palm rushes straight for his forehead, the other tending to the profuse bleeding pouring from his upper arm where his zanpakutō once latched itself onto moments ago.
"You're going to be okay... Everything's going to be okay..." the boy repeats over and over, stealing a glance at the reserved wooden sword to the left of him. However, it is unclear if his desperate convincing is intended for Nibui... or himself.
