On the Knife's edge between life and death.

Ryo continued kissing her then he remembered the drawback to the use of excaliber she had to be untainted or she would never be able to weild the blade no matter how skilled she was... He quickly drew himself away from her though both of them probably hated the idea of being pulled away from each other there were more important things at risk then their love if they were to make love to one another right now they would risk the lives of thousands and that was something Ryo didnt need and or want ontop of the things on his concience thats already there.... "Impurity and sanctity aswell as the love of many only then shall thalt weild my power..." He quoted from the anceint text written on the blade itself.... "If you are tainted we put thousands at risk and could cause many deaths we cant do this.... much as we both want too...."

Sakura nodded slowly and smiled a little at him. "Zakurakadoguchi mentioned as much to me just now." she said softly looking at him. "If I am to weild the blade then I must remain untainted." She said and looked at him. "But we'll be alright." She knew in her heart that what she felt for him went beyond physical attraction and had a feeling the same was said for him.

He took her hands and kissed her deeply with his usual fiery hot passion then he fixed his clothes back to the way they were supposed to be then walked back out of the bathroom preparing to face the father of hers the he so deeply despised.... "Holler at me when your ready to go..." He stepped out and sat down on the couch awaiting her....

Byakuya looked at his freind/enemy and said.. "I heard about your training to weild the mighty excaliber.... hows that working out for you?.." He disacrded two cards then re-drew... He figured they might aswell have some small talk going about before Ichigo returned to the OTHER girl he loved other than Rukia aswell as bid his fairwell for the moment...

Sakura blushed and stood there a moment. Certain that he was trying to melt Zakurakadoguchi's ice with his own Benishihone's fire. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that they had fallen in love with each other since they were so very opposite each other in soo many ways. But she finished up in the bathroom and walked out once again in her white Shinigami attire and tipped her head as she slipped on the golden Haori. "I'm ready." She said having a feeling this meeting between them would not be a good one. She wasn't sure if Toshirow as going as well but had a feeling he would not. Toshiro didn't seem to want to get to know Seishiro and she had a feeling that Ryo would only meet with him for her sake. At least it was a start.

Ichigo discard a few cards before picking up another and looked at Byakuya his nose wrinkling. "Ah yeah." He said shaking his head. "Not good. Still stumbling over this whole thing...I fight to protect others...but that's not the right answer according to Ryo." Ichigo said still having this thing against addressing any Captain by there title. Heck he called the Captain-Commander Yamamoto 'Grandpa' And Yamamoto never corrected him on it either.

Ryo stood up and took her hand and started to use flash step and in a matter of moments arived at the gate where they would make their decent into the human world and meet up with her father at his home... Ryo knew deep down this was gonna end badly he knew her father and it was because of him that his last lover 'Melody' passed away... "This is gonna be interesting..." he said in an emotionless tone...

Byakuya looked at him and shrugged he too couldnt find the answer to that riddle when he attempted to weild Ragnarok they had similar requirements to weild and even him could not weild such a blade by himself.... "Iv'e heard that the answer was the obvious one when your in the middle of a fight you arent thinking of who your protecting it's that your thinking of how you were planning to win the fight thats it kill or be killed.. but i've heard it differs between shinigami.."

Sakura looked at him and nodded then looked at the Senkaimon knowing in her heart that things were about to get tense. "When your ready." She said softly.

Ichigo groaned and looked at Byakuya. "Not very helpful. No offense, but if it's different for everyone then it's a really frustrating riddle....since." He paused as he took a drink. "Well Since Sakura, that is Toshiro's neice solved the riddle on her first try." He shrugged a little.

Ryo took her hand and the two of them decended to the human world where the games were about to begin... He remembered where her home was from the last time he was here so he flash stepped his way to her house where her father resided... They finally arrived and he knocked on the door... "Let the games begin..." He said with a slight chuckle...

Byakuya looked at him and sighed "Well you never know you may just figure out something that she wont be able too it's all up too fate..."He looked at him a moment before discarding again then said... "You know word on the street is that she can defeat you anytime she wishes..." He looked at him interested in what he would do knowing him he'd go and pick a fight right now...

Sakura looked at him tipping her head and blinking quiet a few times as she tried to figure out what he meant by that. What games was he talking about and who was going to be playing them? And why for that matter was he knocking on the door when she had the key and could let them both in. She heard her father shuffling about on the other side of the door as the lights flickered on and he moved about coming to answer. Wondering just what was going to happen.

Ichigo looked at Byakuya as if he had grown a second head and was spitting out sheer nonesense. "Toshiro's neice?" he asked looking at Byakuya the alcohol doing a fun job of messing up his sense of logic. "Give me a break she's too fragile a girl to be able to beat me." he said shaking his head not realizing that not only did Sakura have Bankai like him, she's had it longer despite the fact that like him she really was only a teenage human girl and a Viazard to boot. "Who's saying that fragile girl could beat me?" he grumbled.

The man behind the door finally had answered and seen Ryo holding the hand of his daughter.... "Ryo?..." He said with a confused look upon his face.... Ryo looked up at him one of his fangs lat out and showing as he said... "Long time no see..." He said his more seirious tone of voice present...

Byakuya shrugged and said... "I don't know whos saying it but its going around and quite honestly I beleive you are the more powerful of the two while she is the most elegant it would be an interesting fight to say the least..."

Sakura looked at her father. "Hi...can we come in Dad?" she said knowing that there was much to explain and much to talk about.

Ichigo looked at him. "I can't argue with the elegant part." He said shaking his head as he looked at Byakuya. It was true he really wasn't all that elegant on the battlefeild but hey he got the job done. "I wouldn't want to hurt her." he said shrugging a little it would be like attacking Rukia or Orihime, although they were both quite capable he didn't want to hurt them. "Interesting? She more or less dances on the battlefeild. You haven't seen her use those fans of hers." He shook his head smirking he could knock them away of that he was certain and then she'd be in trouble.

The man nodded and the two walked in.... "What do you need to talk too me about?..." Ryo said nothing and just stared at him with his spirit pressure slowly rising but if it was noticed they had to be damn good at spirit detection cause he kept it concealed very well.... He figured let her do the talking it was better then him doing it....

"Yes I have and I know for a fact that it'd be much harder to get rid of those fans then we realize she controls them with her spirit energy don't forget..." He smiled wandering if he'd go after her like usual...

Sakura looked at him. "Dad, I know you and Ryo have met in the past but..." she looked at him. "We're dating." Sakura said getting straight to the point.

Ichigo looked at Byakuya and narrowed his eyes way too much to drink to think about this clearly. "Right, so your saying it's like your Senbonzakura." he said as he stood up deciding to put an end to the debat once and for all. If he were sober he'd stop and think about it a bit more but at the moment he wanted to put to rest the question of who was the more skilled fighter him or Sakura. "I can handle her fans." he said as he stood and turned to head towards the door grabbing Zangetsu from next to the wall and slinging the massive blade back against his back. What Ichigo in his drunken stupor wasn't realizing was that She controled the fans and that was before she released her Shikai.

The mans eyes quickly went from confused to angry just like Ryo expected her fathers sword was drawn and he attacked.... Ryo easily enough counteracted his blade with his own as he said... "Ironic that you murder my last lover and then my next is your daughter isnt it?!"

Byakuya watched as he walked out of the room.... without making an effort to stop him...

Sakura simply reacted. When her father attacked Ryo and Ryo made the odd comment she barely paid any attention all she did know was that she had to stop this before it went too far. Shaking her head she whispered the release to her Shinigami state and started to move.

"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!" A rather calm voice spoke into the room interupting the fight and stopping Sakura from being able to do anything. "61. Rikujōkōrō (六杖光牢, Six Rods Prison of Light)" The spoken spell summoned sixc thin wide beams of light that slammed into Seishiro's midsection, holding him in place. He watched as the other was unable to move any part of his body up to and including the parts that were not struck by the beams which held steady. As it was Toshiro was standing between Ryo and Seishiro. "Before you go any further with this, understand that it's not just Ryo you'll be hurting with this move Seishiro but your own daughter as well."

Ichigo not really thinking about the cause or effect of what he was doing only raced through the Seireitei heading back towards the living world to go Challange Sakura to a friendly little duel. Of course where he sober he probably would have thought this out a bit more as it was he was heading there and short of Rukia showing up to knock some sense back into his drunken mind...(and he was drinking under age....good thing he was in soul form else Isshin would really have his hide for this one.) He raced thru the Senkaimon heading back towards the living world. Unaware that he was really going to need to sober up and probably applogize very quickly here.

Ryo grinned and stood still as he stood there contained by her spell it would be a simple matter for him to break this kido technique but he wanted too hera the mans words.... "Get away and stay away from my daughter Ryo Zaran Captain of Squad Eleven!!!" Ryo began laughing hard and said... "Squad Eleven?! HA! I have excelled way beyond that dump!" Ryo's and the mans spirit energy raised dramatically till the spell broke and they were at arms yet again...

Sakura shook her head. "Stop it!" She said looking at them both and not liking this one bit. Then her Reiatsu spiked and froze the surrounding areas, the windows everything absolutely everything was covered in either snow or ice. But she was furious with them both at the moment. So very angry that she was certain she would without a doubt smack them both around given half a second. "Stop it right NOW!" She shouted one fan impacting with each man's gut hard enough to send them flying backwards into walls and to knock the wind out of them.

Ichigo arrived on earth and moved attempting to get to Sakura and fast not that it was hard for him, who had a horrible time pinpointing Reiatsu to find her...not with all the Reiatsu flying around that place anyways!

Ryo stayed silent figuring her father would speak up first.... "You dont know what he's like Sakura!!" Ryo grinned then said calmly yet furosiously.... "Sakura remember when I told you my previous lover was murdered by a certain man when she was left as food for a hollow?.... That man was your father...." He let his eyes show that he didnt want too come between father and daughter but figured she should know the truth about her dad....

Sakura shook her head and looked at them both. "I see....but that will be enough of this ridculus sword fighting!" She said looking at them both. "I'm sorry for your loss Ryo I really am, and Dad does have something to answer for there....but ENOUGH. Pull up a chair because there is a lot of talking to be done....and if you don't I swear I will..." Sakura said as the room only continued to get more and more frigid.

Ichigo was drawing closer and closer any minute now he would be within range to find out which of them was more skilled....of course even he wasn't drunk enough to not realize that the air around the flower shop was subzero and dropping....just what the heck was going on in there?!?

Ryo caught wind of Ichigo's impending attack on her before anyone else did as he finally came into veiw above their heads Ryo threw his sword and it wissed by her face and cut it slightly though he wished he hadnt cut her he managed to deflect his attack... "Seems Ichigo tends to challenge you but I think i'll intervene and be his opponent instead i got some anger to get outta my system...." He said as he picked up his sword and began ascending into the air...

Ichigo had meant for a fun challange but upon seeing him slash Sakura's cheek even if it was an accident he narrowed his eyes and surged up after him swinging hard and fast.

Sakura blinked when she felt the slight sting of the blade cutting her skin. She glanced up and shook her head as she reaced up and placed her fingers on her cheek then looked at her father. "how could you just attack like that?" She said upset still. "He's been nothing but kind and understanding to me. He's protected me for crying out loud! Why dad? I met Uncle Toshiro and even he's upset with you.....I....since the moment I came home tonight it's like my father's gone..." She shook her head not happy about this.

As Ryo and Ichigo's blades collided he became more and more apparant that Ichigo's strength had increased so much that he may be even stronger than him.... "Damn..."

Her father looked at her and yelled... "Of course I attacked him that mans only salvation is fight death blood and murder he does nothing but fight and the only woman to love him was killed in battle and he blaims me!"

Ichigo wasn't letting up, nor was he holding back for that matter. He was ferious that the other had nicked her. Granted it wasn't fair since he came here to challenge her as well although his excuse would be that he would't hurt her. No way to know that for sure but it was there as he fought with everything he had, everything he always had. That was just him though, beyond anything else Ichigo learned a person from fighting them. Everything about them when there blades connected.

Sakura looked at her dad and took a deep breath. "People change Dad...." She said softly looking at him. "He's doing everything in his power to protect me, and while I realize that there is something there between you too. I don't know what but...I can't believe you'd let someone die at the hands of a hollow." She said softly. "There has to be more to the story, more that is missing."

Her father looked at her and simply said.... "Ask him........" He looked away thinking...

Ryo and Ichigo's battle continued on until Ryo got pised and began fighting seiriously... "Bankai!!!!" Then Ryo and Benishihone began easily pushing him back....

Sakura looked at him. "Fine I will." She said looking at her father. "But you do realize dad that I'll only be getting on side of the story here. I can hear his side but, that doesn't tell me yours." She said shrugging as the area began to dethaw.

Ichigo was being pushed back now and broke away long enough to look up and narrow his eyes. "Ban-kai." He said in a low tone as he held Zangetsu before him the white ribbon wrapping around his arm before the black red reiatsu wrapped around him and he was once again in his Bak-kai attire and holding a much more slender sword. Ichigo narrowed his eyes and began fighting Ryo with a vengence.

Their battle began heating up until Ichigo made the mistake of cutting Benishihone across the chest and letting Ryo see her blood.... Ryo grew unbeleivabley angry and attacked in a fury and cut him across the chest which bought him enough time to go to her aid... He saw Sakura looking at him which meant he had explaining to do...