Anz walked slowly though his lab, today was an important day, an auspicious moment which represented the culmination of years of effort. He finally had the opportunity to once more be the head of his own lab. Not since he was dismissed from the college of rayleighs creation, had such an opportunity shown its face. However, one obstacle still stood in his way, trial by combat a test to see if he was indeed worthy of the title of captain, he had originally attempted to avoid this stating he was attempting to be captain of the 12th division as such it would be much more appropriate for this to test his scientific knowledge. A speed invention contest, written examination, or perhaps an obstacle course requiring inventive ingenuity and complex mathematics, however it seemed like most bureaucracies soul society remained trapped in antiqued and inefficient customs dawning from era long since past in its usefulness.

“Come now Anz, you must try and be more understanding. Traditions hold values and meanings to people sometimes the best way is not the most efficient.”

“That’s an oxymoron Umi, of course the best way is the most efficient. This trial is nothing more then the remnant of an ancient tradition that should have been removed hundreds of years ago. However, you do make a point that many of the higher ups hold these things in high regard as such I will play along. If for nothing more then the knowledge that by doing so I will create a new era for my research backed by the nearly unlimited funding associated with this title.”

Looking in the mirror before he left he inspected himself to ensure he was presentable, and well prepared. He was wearing traditional black shinigami garb, with his zanpakuto on his waist. His green hair neatly combed back for the first time in months. He wore his PATCH on his left eye having just run a diagnostic analysis on it and cleaned the outer fabric a stunningly clean pitch black. His belt buckle was a thin a metal disk with a button on it called a pulse barrier, an invention of his own design. In his pocket were his combat gloves in case he needed them and attached on his belt opposite his zanapakuto was his etherium box, loaded with all his other standard equipment, including his marble bag. Finally he had his captain acceptance speech tucked gently into his waistband.

Assured everything was in place he closed the lab and walked out towards the trial that would take place a mere fifteen minutes away. Arriving he walked gently into the arena, the large well lit space was roughly the size of two football fields side by side and had several cameras hidden through out the structure. The floor was black concrete and the roof a dome several stories in height and made of steel and plaster. With a steadying breath he spoke hoping someone was listening and he could succeed in this trial.

“Anzai Kuro current Vice-captain of the 12th squad, and applicant for the newly available captain position, in response to the dismissal and subsequent disappearance of former captain Ika Maza. Arriving as ordered for my captains trial.”

(OoC: Just looking ahead, could you pm me with the information soul societies records would have on Rikku. Cause the first thing Anz will do is use PATCH to access them and I don’t want to get any information the records wouldn’t have.)

(OOC: He was once Capt of Squad 11. Became a fugitive of SS when he became a Viz. Became the Leader of the Viz org the dropped off the map. Powers are illusion based and is prominently known for his speed and analytical skills.)

Shaking his head, Rikku walks down the large halls of the testing area. Just a few moments ago he received a message from some Soul Society bigwigs that he was to be the proctor in a Captain's exam. This was the first time that Rikku had ever been asked to do something like this, even when he was the Captain of the 11th Squad. He gives a small laugh, "I guess hell musta frozen over."

He sees the big double doors not too far away. He thinks back on what the message had said. Something about 12th squad, someone disappearing and a promising new shinigami for the spot. Rikku shrugged off the details as he opened the doors to the huge battle area. He looked up at the high ceiling and let out a whistle. "Wow, talk about good acoustics." He says as the whistle resonates through the whole area. He looks back towards the shinigami waiting for him.

"Why hello there Anzai!" Rikku says with a big smile on his face. "Yea, I heard that the other Captain left too. Weird stuff." Rikku looks the man up and down. He seems pretty unassuming from the first look. But then again, so did most of the 12th squad. Rikku cracks his knuckles.

"So I guess we are gonna have ourselves a little fight huh?" Rikku says with a smile from ear to ear. He was allows up for a fight and believed it was the only real way to get to know someone. Then again, thanks to his powers, it really was the best way for him to get to know someone. He believed that fighting should be enjoyed, even when facing the toughest of foes, he was hoping that this shinigami would feel the same.

Rikku gives the shinigami a short bow and then takes a few steps back, "Since this is a test, I will let you make the first move. Just remember, there are cameras and the others will be judging everything that you do. But no pressure." He says with a laugh.

Anz turned to face the new arrival surprised to find he was not looking at a captain of the gotei 13, in fact he had never seen the man before in his life. Yet there he was fully informed of the situation and from the feel of his power more then capable to proctor the exam. As the man spoke PATCH analyzed, hidden within the pirates patch which covered Anz’s left eye it began with a simple facial recognition program, looking for defining characteristics and running several adaptive algorithms, it took less then a minute to find the mans file deep within the archives of soul societies history. Rikku Takashi, former 11th squad captain, turned rogue, turned vizard leader, and it seemed now turned freelance. Illusion biased abilities with speed and tactical analysis mentioned as his best combat traits. A smile crossed Anzai’s face as PATCH ran its combat protocol for illusion users. Having spent some time studying his own illusion abilities Anz had found several potential weaknesses that would perhaps run across the board. The computer showing this only to Anz, first laid a grid across the mans body using triangulation to determine height. arm length, and sword length. This data was then extrapolated into approximate attack range both armed and unarmed, displayed as spherical grids. Finally in hopes this would help account for his illusion-biased abilities PATCH determined his unique reaitsu signature and measured his thermal signature and extrapolated a range biased on known information about Vizard physiology.

While PATCH worked Anz spoke both to buy the time necessary for the computer to work and because edict dictated one should greet his proctor.
“A pleasure to meet you… I don’t recognize you from around the Seireitei are you often called into proctor exams Mr?”

Letting his voice trail off so Rikku would fill in the answer, Anz then reached into his pockets slowly slipping on a pair of his grey mesh combat gloves. He would gather more data before involving his Zanapakuto. With Rikku’s final statement he slid into a combat stance lowering his body, with his feet pointing perpendicularly and his right foot forward. His stance was reminiscent of a boxers’ stance accept he kept his palms open and his weight shifted just slightly onto his back leg. With a chuckle he responded;

“Well nothing to worry about at all then, my scientific career dependent on a brawl… excuse me, a trial by combat.... I suppose I’ll just start this off then”

Anz mentally scolded himself for the slight slip of tongue before he began his attack keeping his distance and his attacks focused less on doing damage and more on a quick recovery and a wide angle of view. He darted forward, keeping below shunpo speeds and stopping a few inches short of sword attack maximum range, shifting into a quick short shunpo to rikku’s right coming out at just within arms length, two quick jabs towards throat and chest before pushing back and away just out of sword attack distance. Finally he finished with a second short shunpo appearing directly behind Rikku just out of arms length and doing a sweep quick. Before pushing well back nearly seven feet and landing in his original defensive stance his mind quickly analyzing the data this quick and relatively effortless attack had given him.

Rikku smirks a bit and the shinigamis slip of tongue. "The names Rikku, Mr. just makes me feel old." Then again Rikku was pretty damn old. But thanks to the wonders of being a vizard, his aging seemed to have halted. Rikku gives a quick nod as the man slips on a pair of gloves and darts at him for an attack.

Deflecting the two punches with his forearms, a smile begins to form on Rikku's face. The dull pang of the fists hitting his arms awakened his old memories of battle. There was nothing he enjoyed more then a battle. Rikku feels the man appear from behind him and make a kick.

Rikku allows the kick to connect, but rolls with the force of the hit. He allows his legs to carry over to the side in a half somersault, stopping with him landing in a handstand on his right hand. He looks up from this position at Anz and smiled. "Hey, for a computer guy, you got some nice moves."

As he says this as he hand springs forward. In mid front flip towards the man he disappears as he shunpos off the air from his position. He reappears behind Anz with a spinning back hand at the mans head. Using the spinning momentum, he drops to the ground, catching himself with his hands and pushing up, causing him to do a rising spinning quick aimed at the mans jaw.

Following through with the momentum again, Rikku allows it to carry him away from the man, jumping back about 8 feet. "I can tell this is gonna be a good fight."

Rikku was good better then most he had faced in unarmed combat in a while, as his first block arrived PATCH displayed the reaction speed in the corner of Anz vision impressive to say the least most captains were just slightly under this man. Then again such was to be expected from a former organization leader. As Anz’s leg swung in he knew it would be blocked Rikkus reaction time from the last attack indicated that much, thus he was surprised when he felt his leg make contact, the man flipped around springing on to one hand and landing gracefully a distance away, the quick conclusion was the man was over confident and showing off though he could also be distracted, either way this could be useful in the coming fight.

He spoke then he moved his body flying gracefully into the air as it surged into flip and pushed off into shunpo. He was fast, faster then Anz would have predicted but not completely impossible to trace, Anz spun his hands coming up in time to block the incoming fist. He staggered back a bit from the off balance block and Rikku took advantage dropping low and using his momentum to create a whirling kick towards Anz’s face, luckily his hands where already in position to block. Sliding his back foot he knelt, his back arching as the kick grazed across his gloves.

Rikku landed and spoke; clearly he was getting into the fight, which was good. Already a plan was starting to formulate in Anz’s head, a pattern was beginning to emerge and since his fighting style seemed reminiscent of Brazilian capoeira perhaps it shared some of its weaknesses. However if he was right he needed to wait for the moment to emerge, and thus had to continue the fight as before.

“Happy to entertain”

He pushed forward pausing once more at just under arms length, his fists firing out once at rikku’s face, once at his chest and a third at his stomach. However, the last blow stopped short as Anz pushed off left into shunpo appearing to rikku’s back left with his leg swinging through the air at the back of the mans head, this served a two fold purpose first he hoped to land the kick by using the punches to take him off balance, second and more likely to create an opening if he was right, to create a new opening using rikkus fighting style.

Rikku's hands were shaking, the thrill of battle was coursing through his veins. It had been so long since he had a fight with an intelligent opponent that the thought of having to precisely plan out his attacks was exciting to him. He had already begun part of his plannings by dropping subtle hints in his style. This was not a battle to the death, this was a friendly spar and a test. Rikku knew that with this man testing to be the 12th Captain that he was probably more focused on technology then fighting. This would be a battle of wits more then power.

Waiting as the man came in again, Rikku watched as the man changed his fighting stance. "Oh very nice." He says, dropping into a traditional Muay Thai stance. Being the old 11th Captain, Rikku was trained in almost every art of melee combat. The true test would begin when the shinigami began to you all his 12th Squad attributes to fight instead of in Rikku's area of expertise.

Anz come in for his attack, with Rikku's stance he is able to block the blow to his face with his forearm and bring his knee up high to block his chest and stomach. He keeps his leg up too long, thinking that the shinigami will follow through on stomach punch. Standing on one leg, Rikku feels the man appear behind him, going for a head kick.

Rikku begins to move his hand to the side of his head and his leg back down to the ground except in a wider stance then before. The kick connects with his wrist instead of his forearm and before his foot fully gets back down. The bones in Rikku's forearm vibrate from the quick and his mis-block. His foot connects with the ground with more force then intended but Rikku uses this to his advantage.

He quickly kicks his toe on the leg he was standing on into the ground, leaving all his weight on the leg that just planted in a wider stance. This allows him to follow through with the momentum and carry his leg over the other, putting him back in a Muay Thai stance. With a smile on his face, he goes on the offensive.

Rikku shunpo's at the man, driving a knee to him chest and then spinning to his back where he throws and elbows at his shoulder. Rikku then drops to a knee and goes for a leg sweep. The whole time he does this, his speed is increasing. This is for two reasons. His battle rust is shedding and they are not yet moving at Rikku's normal or full speed.

He jumps back and looks at the shinigami, "Come on! Show me some cool 12th Squad stuff!"

Rikku was good; he anticipated Anz’s study and moved into a new stance. A smile crept along Anz’s face, Rikku was more then a brute, he was an intelligent foe. One who like him learned about his enemy in combat. The switch in combat stances proved two things to Anz, first the man outclassed him in hand to hand, to seamlessly switch fighting styles on a whim like that meant he was more then capable of pulling out even more combat styles. Second, his choice to start with Capoeira was a deliberate a test of his observational skills. However he did not have the chance to marvel at the mans adaptive nature, suddenly he shot forward his speed increasing as a knee came towards Anz’s chest, he got the block up in time but the blow staggered him leaving him open to a one two shoulder leg combo that sent him sprawling to the ground. Anz regained his footing as Rikku spoke. A smile spread across his face; despite appearances he still held the upper hand in this fight. Rikku was faster and stronger but Anz was better informed. PATCH continued to analyze every one of Rikku’s movements, his actions catalogued and sub-divided. Rikku wanted Anz to use his technological equipment, but didn’t realize he already was. The rest of his inventions were made specifically for after Anz had learned enough about his opponent, they were the jaws to his bear trap. and if he was right he was getting close.

However, he did now need to change tactics, Rikku had been playing with him that much was for sure. If he kept using these tactics he would lose, his shoulder still throbbed a bit from the blow. Reaching down he grabbed his zanapakuto speaking softly;

“It would seem I won’t beat you like this, I highly doubt I’ll land anything you don’t let me… However, Michiru, Umigumo”

Vapor surged from the sheathe of Anz’s zanpakuto, obscuring him from Rikku’s sight for just a moment. As this happened Anz touched the etherium box having it create two mines and release one inactive reiatsu emitter that he pocketed for later use. The green smoke of their creation obscured within his release. The smoke cleared for less then a second before Anz moved. Though visibly the only thing that had changed was that silver barnacle covered gauntlets surrounded by yellowish oil had formed on his hands, behind the shinigami four identical gloves floated.

Anz shot forward his hands opening into a salvo of attacks using an open fist technique reminiscent of tigers palm. This six strike palm attack had four purposes the first was to use the barnacles to cut Rikku’s arms and expose his blood to the translucent yellow oil which covered them, second to distract Rikku from the two gauntles which had surged into the air after Anz used his first blow. Third to keep Rikku from noticing those same gauntlets which would come from either angle thirty degrees from Rikkus back aiming for both shoulders blades with a closed clear oily barnacle fist as the fifth blow struck, and finally any gauntlet strike from Anz's hands which hit a limb would deposit a small 1 cm barnacle flake on whatever it touched leaving it there for future use, up to a max of three. Meanwhile the two remaining gauntlets would stay right behind Anz ready to surge into the battle as a defensive means, or block Rikku's blade should he try to use his sword to slash Anz while at close range.

Anz hoped he wouldn't have to use the barnacles, they were at all points a final option to be used if and only if it was absolutely necessary.

(OoC: Viscous oozes in use:
Anz's hands: Leech anesthetic
Other gauntlets: Crabs Pinch.)