[center][h1][color=salmon]RYUNOSUKE KAMADO[/color][/h1][/center] How can one describe a liminal prison void? A pocket dimension where the concept of time does not exist? Its very existence is anathemic to the human psyche. A perfect weapon for a Demon. And a horribly effective one, perfect for an upper Consort. It was impossible to describe the basic horror that surrounded Ryu. So much so, he made no effort to give it meaning. This was a prison meant to drive someone insane. It broke all the basic rules of reality. Prompting the prisoner to go insane attempting to rationalize something that is inherently irrational. The prison cube never banked on shackling its prisoner with binds or chains. It broke its inhabitant. So effectively and thoroughly that the prisoner would never even conceive of escaping. A lovecraftian horror. Unfortunately for this prison’s master, the liminal void never interred someone as bullheaded as Ryunosuke Kamado. So assured in himself, the Sun Hashira was, that the cthulic nightmare never had any effect on him. To Ryu, this was nothing more than another form of binding. Nothing before has ever held him down (ignore the rare, introspective moment he had before fighting Ryoshu), he’ll be damned if some bitch’s Blood Demon Art became the first. He sat in the same place for an unknown length of time. It no longer mattered. He knew his will was stronger than the BDA. It was only a matter of time before he would break free. But when he does and where he does were paramount. Regressing once again into the regress of his psyche, he replayed the events that led him here, and the crazy plan he put in place for himself. It all started back in that damned limousine. [color=salmon]‘Heemuu.. Peepoo… Hitunora! No, no… what was her name again?’[/color] Ryunosuke’s brain was working overtime. At least, as overtime as it could in its inebriated state. He was eye-balling the new person that was sitting next to him. She had a madly neutral stare. One stained with duty. Oh, she was a soldier alright. A perfect little soldier, for Mr. Perfect little Dragon Hashira. Ryu has never seen her before this car ride. Leave it to his alcohol-induced state, but he could swear they had some kind of deeper connection. Were they lovers in their last life? No, she looks like she would castrate him at any given opportunity. Did they- No, no, he keeps work and pleasure separate for a good reason… [color=salmon]‘Oh, it was Torahino!! No, that doesn’t sound right.’[/color] he continues to think to himself Passively, he’s still peeved that Takaya assigned him a bodyguard… But, honestly, at least his caretaker is easy on the eyes. After a quick moment, his eyes light up slightly. He knows what connects them! At least… kinda. Ryu can get a decent read on people. Especially when he’s drunk. He sees in her a familiar flame. A disgust for the current hierarchy, and a raging inferno that is their breathing form. Internally, he pumps his fists upon the revelation that he’s in similar company. Then, just as quickly, sulks upon realizing she would sooner become a Demon than consider him a friend… Oh well! Whose to say Ryu is ever one to back down from a challenge! [color=salmon]‘...Toratora? Hinohino? … Hinotora? Probably, who knows.’[/color] He turns his gaze away from the Phoenix Breath user and gives his divided attention to Takaya’s bird. The damned glorified chicken was shrilling some kind of prophecy. It did a number on Ryu’s mind. [quote]"Bodyguards will you be, Uzui, Kamado, Kuwajima, Kenzō -dono." "Fated, Upper Moon 4 is. Onslaught he will, predict you will not." "After the Master he is Blue Spider Lily as well." "Kaw-caw! Tomioka Guen spotted. Torigoya Onsen, she will go." "Sent Dragon Hashira, Rumble Hashira, Moon Hashira, Thompson-san & Miyuki-chan, Master did." "Misfortune! Misfortune!" Bayashi cried. "Death upon someone tonight! Bells are ringing it is." "One sided massacre, caught off guard you shall be." "Gratuitous & Grotesque Art, it is." "Into the morgue, you shall be!" "Kaw-caw! Police will capture y'all, only one shall escape!" "Fortune! Fortune! Pyrrhic victory it is!"[/quote] For the briefest of moments, a wicked grin shined on Ryu’s face. ‘Fellas.’ he thought to himself. ‘I may not have a brain… but I have an idea.’ And so, Operation: Kick Ass, Take Names, Steal a Car, And be The Most Badassest Hashira Around (patent pending) came to fruition. A plan so stupid, so convoluted, so dangerous, that only someone like the Sun Hashira could think it up. Despite popular belief, Kamado is incredibly self aware. He knows how he portrays himself. More importantly, he’s not blind to how his allies see him. More importantly, he knows how his enemies perceive him. The Demon’s either aimed to kill a majority of the people in the car or capture him. Ryu banked on his “right place, right time” luck to ensure he wasn’t going to be the sole survivor. Upper Moon 4, wasn’t Gekido, which was perfect. Gekido would [i]never[/i] let him be killed by another upper moon. So, more likely than not, he was going to be captured. After being captured, he surmised he’d be taken somewhere important to the Demons. A place they wouldn’t want a Ryunosuke-sized-bull to be running around unopposed. AKA the perfect target for disorder and chaos, the Sun Hashira’s specialties. The plan was as follows. Ryu “play’s the fool” (aka keep on acting like the kind of man the world sees him as), [i]slightly[/i] throw the fight against the upper moon, get captured, wait for the right time to bust out, and sow as much destruction as he can. His goal isn’t to kill any upper moons… It's to give them the biggest headache of their immortal lives. And somehow… Everything worked out perfectly. Well, almost perfectly. Ryu legitimately almost died fighting Ryoshu. If it weren’t for the help of Hinotora and the… other demon slayers, he definitely would have seriously had to fight. Even if he pulled out all the stops, he wouldn’t know fully if he would come out of the fight alive. And so, Ryunosuke waited. Constantly reliving the plan in his mind’s eye. He let his desire and animosity fester, using them to fuel the fire inside him. Even when the plan goes through, he still has a ton of major problems to deal with. First, Takaya. He was taken by the demons, alongside Ryu. Rescuing him is priority number one, as much as he doesn;t like to admit it. Two, he’s literally going to be stirring the hornets nest from the inside. His ego and unabashed pride will be his greatest strengths. He has to [i]will[/i] this plan to succeed. Against the Upper Moons and any other unknown adversaries… it was a tall order. Speaking of Upper Moons, Gekido will most likely be there. If there was anyone who could surmise what Ryunosuke was planning, it would be Gekido. He frowns to himself a little. He has contingency plans for problems one and two, but nothing for problem three (no pun intended). Maybe a confrontation is inevitable… If it is, Ryu will have to flee. A prolonged fight in the Demon’s Lair is a death sentence. He grins, displaying his fear and excitement all at once. He thinks back to his silent promise he made to the other Hashira. He thinks back to how many others died at the shrine. And to those, like Hinotora, who fought tooth and nail just to ensure he survived the fight… This rampage isn’t just to satiate his bloodlust. It’s for them, all of them. Jae-eun Tenka Hinotora Himari Kairi Eizo Kousai Koshin Hikaru … [color=salmon]“Yes. Even you, Guen.”[/color] He exhales and opens his eyes. His mark spread all over his body. The world was permanently transparent to him… He was the Strongest of Today. And today, he will show the world why. [color=salmon]“Fuck it, we ball.”[/color]