Squad One Training Grounds(Closed/Training/Hotaru & Kagami)

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru woke up when she usually did, with the sun. She opened up her window in her room and inhaled the fresh air deeply. It was her favorite time of the day. The world was still waking up from its slumber during the night and she could still smell the dew on the ground. She then went to what had become ritual for her, cleaning her sword. She took it off its stand very carefully. Even though it was still sheathed, she always treated it carefully. It was one of her most treasured items, next to her locket, and she wanted to make sure nothing happened to it.

She unsheathed it and laid the sword on a towel. She then grabbed the hilt of the sword, held it up and held it balanced with her other hand, which was covered with the towel she was going to clean it with. She checked every curve of the blade, to make sure there was nothing out of place. After that, she throughly cleaned it, to make sure there was not even one speck of dust on the blade. Once she was completely satisfied with it, she resheathed it, took a shower and got dressed, tied her sword on and was on her way out the door.

Before she could get too far in the barracks, one of the new recruits ran into her. "Sorry, but I was told that you need to go to the training grounds for our squad, someone wants to meet you there." She thought that was pretty odd. She was still fairly new, but she didn't know of anyone that would take such an interest in her to be wanting to meet with her. She walked out of the barracks and headed towards the section of the Seireiti that held the training grounds. She opened the doors for Squad One's training ground and was amazed.

She had heard from a few people that Squad One's area was the biggest, but if it was, she wondered how big the other squad's grounds were. Theirs was massive. She couldn't even see the boundaries of the field. She walked in and just took it all in. It reminded her alot of back home, endless green. She noticed that she was the first one there, so she decided to wander around. She started to walk around, trying to get a feel for the place and waiting for whoever wanted to meet her here.

[Douma]

Kagami was in a bit of tough situation. You see, the big, powerful Captain Commander was getting a little irritated with his Vice Captain skipping out on duties, never doing his paperwork, and disappearing for days on end before coming back with some wild stories about his drunken adventures wherever he had gone. Kagami was apparently ‘childish’ and ‘irresponsible.’ He apparently had to ‘grow out of his immature attitude’ into a mindset that was ‘more suited for the duties of a Vice Captain’ or something like that. Kagami really didn’t pay much attention to the lecture, but spent most of the time eyeing the Captain Commander’s young, beautiful secretary sitting just outside the open office door. She was eyeing him back, and, needless to say, Kagami hit that later on. I’d rather skip the details (I am a gentleman, after all), but she was quite mindblown. Such was the power of the mighty Squad 1 Vice Captain.

Of course, there was some meaning in the Captain Commander’s words. Kagami wasn’t the best role model for an aspiring person, though many envious men did admire him for his skill with a blade and his skill with women. Why wouldn’t they? The notorious Mirror Master was a well-rounded pearl of perfection. However, the Captain Commander seemed to believe that Kagami should begin ‘strengthening ties’ and ‘building a strong moral’ within the squad. A devilish smile had crept onto Kagami’s face during that lecture, but the Captain Commander was too quick and specified that he didn’t mean ‘sleep with every woman in the squad.’ Kagami exaggerated his disappointment, though he didn’t take his Captain’s words to heart. He was ordered to arrange one-on-one training sessions, so why not have some other one-on-one fun too?

The Captain Commander was very specific in what Kagami may and may not do. Apparently, he had already arranged a meeting with one of the new recruits the next morning. Kagami was handed her file and instructed to take mental notes and add to it after examining the new Squad 1 member. He was also ordered to ‘teach her a thing or two,’ which shouldn’t be a problem. However, on the other hand, he was very carefully and very threateningly instructed ‘not to lay a hand on her with any intimate or sexual intentions.’ Kagami put on a poker face and agreed, though the Captain Commander did hint that he’d have eyes watching the entire event. It was a test, and Kagami may be seriously reprimanded and stripped of his rank if he fails. That part actually got his attention. Hiding his unease with arrogance, Kagami excused himself from the Captain Commander’s office and slipped the secretary a card with his number on it for later that night.

So skip to the next morning, and Kagami would be sitting two hundred feet over the vast Squad 1 training grounds. From the mirror platform he was lying on, he could clearly see some targets for training, a few wooden practice weapons on a rack, and the borders not just around the training grounds but also around the whole of Seireitei. He was pretty high up, and he didn’t need to look carefully to notice Hotaru’s arrival. It’s show time, he thought to himself before having the mirror he was perched on disappear, leaving him to fall a short distance to the ground not far from Hotaru. It reminded him a bit of the time Ana had forced him into skydiving without his mirrors a little while ago. That scared the living shit out of him, but as long as his permanently release Zanpakuto was with him, he didn’t need to fear heights.

As the Vice Captain fell, he summoned two mirrors flat on the ground and linked them together in a manner that when he fell through one, he would reappear from the other reflective glass, jumping back another twenty feet into the air before coming to a rolling landing. Had he not rolled, Kagami’s legs wouldn’t have felt to great, and he probably would have already failed his ‘test.’ The rolling action took the pressure away from his legs and allowed him to jump right back up to his feet after cushioning his fall. He dusted the grass off the shoulders of his Shinigami uniform, which matches those of everyone else’s except for his Vice Captain badge and the jade sword stripped to his waist. The Vice Captain allowed his mirrors to vanish into thin air after his use for them was done.

Considering that Kagami’s dramatic entrance had taken place no more than ten feet from her, she would probably be slightly startled. Kagami, however, was unfazed and wore an arrogant smile on his devilishly handsome, young face. His gray hair was a tad messy from the fall, but that only added to his attractiveness. He extended his hand to Hotaru in a warm greeting. “Pleasure to meet you, Hotaru Wakashi.” Kagami really didn’t think he needed an introduction, but he just loved saying his name, so why not? “I’m sure you already know, but for the sake of formalities, my name is Kagami Murai. You may know me by my title the Mirror Master. I am also the Vice Captain of Squad 1.” Kagami spoke with a false modesty that he had learned to perfect over the years. Most people didn’t take kindly to an arrogant first impression. Only after they got to know Kagami would they understand his narcissism.

“For the next couple of hours, it is my duty to evaluate and train you. Show me what you can do, and we’ll proceed from there.” Kagami obviously implied that he intended to spar with Hotaru for a minute or two just to see where she was at. He drew his sword in his right hand and bent his knees, his left foot slightly in front of his right. The blade was pointed with an angle of inclination of about sixty degrees. All in all, it was a standard position for the western sword style that Kagami had mastered over the years. With his power so far above that of Hotaru, it was only right that Kagami is a gentleman and give Hotaru the first move. Ladies first, after all.

Reiatsu Remaining: 7875/8000 (-75 for three mirrors, -50 for Image Link)

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

She looked around, waiting for the person to show up. Then, pretty much out of nowhere, this guy showed up, falling a bit from the sky. It was close to her and she was looking in that direction as well. When he showed up, it startled her. Then, as quickly as he showed up, he disappeared again. Before she could even really registered what happened, he showed up again. This time, however, he was about twenty feet back farther in the air than he was, and rolled to a stop in front of her. She just kind of stared a little open-mouthed at him while he popped up from his landing. He dusted himself off and that's when she noticed a badge on his arm.

He held his hand out and said it was a pleasure to meet her, using her full name. She was a little confused but when he continued saying that he was the Vice Captain of Squad One Kagami Murai, also known as the Mirror Master. Now it made sense that he knew her. He must be notified of all the new recruits in the squad. Once she started to shake his hand, she took him all in. She could obviously tell that he was handsome, and that he knew it. She knew that she was fairly attractive, but no one really never had any interest in her because of what she could do. She could tell that he was trying to put his best foot forward, even with that arrogant look on his face. She knew that he must wear his arrogance a lot of the time, but honestly, it didn't bother her. She pretty much ignored it and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Vice Captain Kagami Murai. Sadly, I haven't been around enough of the other Squad One members to hear your title, but I will remember it from now on."

Then, she heard that he was going to spar with her. It got her excited. She had been wanting to try her skills out on other squad members. Her getting to try it out on the Vice Captain of her squad is pretty amazing for her. She watched as he got into a stance, some western swordplay position. He sat in the position, waiting. He made it obvious that she was to be the one to make the first move. She unsheathed her blade and got into her normal stance, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, sword held at a forty-five degree angle from her body. She looked him over, while she was steadying herself with calm breaths. She thought of a few angles that she might be able to attack from, but he was much stronger than her and could have learned over the years to guard the weak points.

She figured that it didn't matter much. If he knew that she was trying to attack his weaknesses in his stance, it might be a good point in her direction. As fast as she could, she tried her best to run around and slash from behind. It was the only real weak point she could see.

"Hopefully my lack of experience will not be counted against me, Vice Captain. I really hope that I can learn a great deal from you and get better at fighting."

She waited to see what he would do next.

[Douma]

OOC: Looks like we both forgot stats and skills xD Be sure to include them into your next post.

Kagami’s eye twitched just a little bit. Hotaru probably wouldn’t notice his reaction at all, considering how miniscule the action was, but he couldn’t help it. She had just completely denied having heard any mention of his reputation. Kagami made a big deal about getting the recognition he thought- no, he knew he deserved for his charm, intellect, skill, military strategic genius, charm, and position. He was at the head of the commanding squad (Not counting the Captain Commander, of course) and his name should be ingrained in the minds of all of Soul Society. Maybe some Arrancar living under the sand wouldn’t catch wind of his glory. The human world didn’t air any specials about Kagami on TV for some reason, so most people probably haven’t heard his name. However, the fact that a Shinigami, especially one in Squad 1, doesn’t know of Kagami Murai almost shattered his sanity. Not quite, but it was close.

Kagami maintained his composure throughout, and Hotaru couldn’t possibly predict what he was thinking. His grin remained just as self-centered and certain as ever. It didn’t even waver when she began her attack. The first mistake Hotaru made was to underestimate the gap in their speeds, and Kagami would point that out for her. “Don’t try to get behind any opponent without some sort of Hoho technique, especially if they’re significantly faster.” Kagami would simply turn his body to keep up with Hotaru. His sword remained level as his body pivoted, and he heard the familiar, blood-curdling cling of steel-on-steel as their swords met. Rather than meeting the slash head-on with his sword, Kagami decided to redirect it towards the ground, letting the blades slide against each other as the trajectory of her sword was changed.

Kagami began to move at a pace not much faster than her, going at just a speed of 75. His sword was lowered when he parried her stroke, so he brought it back up in the form of an uppercut slash targeting her chest. She wouldn’t have enough time to bring her sword back up to block it, so her only chance was evading it by retreating back a step or two. Assuming that Kagami had predicted her move correctly, he would return to his steady battle stance, allowing her to recover with a foot or two of space between them. Kagami decided to let her try again. It was rare for him to make the first move in a fight, and he hoped to see much more of Hotaru’s combat skill in this session before ending the sparring and starting up some drills. “Take two, and action!” he exclaimed in an enthusiastic, arrogant taunt. It was her move.

Reiatsu Remaining: 7875/8000

SPOILER: Click to show

Stats

Strength - [150] Points

Speed - [400] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] (800) Points

Reiatsu Strength - [150] Points

Light Aura - [65] Points

Dark Aura - [35] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses - [100] Points

Energy sensory - [200] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1600] Points

Abilities

• [Weapons: Sword] {3}
  
  
• [War Strategy] {3}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Calm Mind] {1}
  
  
• [Battle: Projectiles] {2}
  
  
• [Analysis] {3}
  
  

Items:
15 Kunai
10 Shuriken
1 Giant Shuriken
5 Kunai Clips

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

OOC: Whoops lol

She noticed a very tiny twitch when she told him she hadn't heard of his reputation. She also missed it, but since she was looking straight at his face in greeting she could barely tell. It seems that she wounded a little bit of his ego. She felt a little bad for doing so, but she never lies to superior officers, even if it would get her in trouble. She assumed in the academy that every Vice Captain had some kind of special title, but she was so concerned with her improvement and knowledge-gaining, learning about her Vice Captain must have slipped her mind. It will not happen again.

She watched as he easily kept up with her and blocked her attack. She heard his word of advice. He was able to redirect it and slide his sword down hers and to the ground. She saw the parry and, as quick as she could, flipped backwards to avoid it. He was definitely better than her and he knew it with the countenance he held. She stared him down, returning to her original stance. He did as well, waiting for her. Hotaru guessed that he was waiting on her to make the first move. He either was trying to do something gentlemanly, which she highly doubted, or he let his enemy go first to get the upper hand in battle, which is a very smart tactic. She made a note of it to try sometime in the future.

She started him down again. He was still much faster and stronger than her. There had to be some way she could try one thing that might work to her advantage. She stared at him in the face to try to see if he would reveal anything. Of course, like she thought, he revealed nothing. Nothing except arrogance and him thinking himself the best looking man in Seireiti. She did have to admit that he was good-looking. His hair was at just the right length to set off his features. She kept looking at his face, but she had to steel herself. She took a few deep breaths to keep herself centered.

She looked at his stance and thought maybe one good thrust would work. She heard his taunt and did not allow it to affect her. As quickly as she could, she ran up and pretended to go for his feet. When the attack was close, she last minute moved it up to try to hit him in the side. She hoped that that little fake out would be, but she highly doubted it. It seemed that he was having some fun with this spar, so she would too. "As they say in that one human film, you'll never take me alive!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Strength - [100 + 35%] (135) Points

Speed - [50 - 25%] (38) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [50 - 25%] (38) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [100 + 35%] (135) Points

Light Aura - [70] Points

Dark Aura - [30] Points

Instinct - [100] Points

Senses - [50] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [500] points



Current Skills: (8/15 SKP Spent)

[Weapons: Swords] 1

[Pain Tolerance] 1

[Bleeding Tolerance] 1

[Illusion Resist] 1

[Damage Recovery] 1

[Poison Resist] 1

[Learning] 1

[Battle Focus] 1

[Douma]

Hotaru wasn’t too shabby. She had recognized a danger (which really wasn’t very difficult to do, especially since it was right in front of her) and, more importantly, evaded it. There was hope. It was the first time that Kagami had looked at his subordinate Squad members as more than underlings. Believe it or not, they were actually people. It was a weird thought, and Kagami stored it in the back of his mind, the same division of his brain that housed his duties and responsibilities. That wasn’t a thought he’d dig back up for a while.

Hotaru had a good idea in her mind for her counter attack. A feint was a great technique to catch an opponent off guard and force them to put their defenses in all the wrong places. It was a strategy Kagami had used a few times in a battle. However, there was one flaw: the details of the execution. Kagami had casually held his sword vertically, point facing the ground, by his leg to deflect the blow. Because Hotaru had only changed the direction of her blow a little bit, it took little to no time to raise his arm in order to defend against the higher slash. His superior strength would make it so that his jade blade barely moved as Hotaru’s sealed Zanpakuto bounced right off it with a ringing metallic sound.

"As they say in that one human film, you'll never take me alive!" “And a move like that isn’t going to do you much good in taking a life.” It was directly, slightly harsh criticism, but it was intended to be constructive. Whether or not Hotaru was offended would be up to her, but Kagami’s whole purpose was to help. “Feints are useful over all, but only if you use them right. The main issue was in the change of target. When you begin with a slash, backhand or forehand, directed at the side of your opponent, changing the elevation is too subtle to give your opponent a tough time to block. All they would need to do is raise or lower their arm and they’re set. However, if you switch from a backhand to, say, and overhead slash, you might be able to go around your opponent’s defense, assuming that you can out-speed him.”

“Look, let me demonstrate.” Kagami, very slowly, so Hotaru can see in detail, began a slow-motion backhand slash movement directed toward her right ribcage. However, just an inche from where Hotaru might place her sword in defense, Kagami would flick his wrist upwards, a subtle action that made it easy to exploit an opponent’s vulnerability. “That wrist flick is important. The movement is a lot smaller and faster than changing your arm at once, which your opponent would have to do. The details matter.” As he spoke, Kagami let his eyes scan the courtyard, searching for the possible scounts the Captain Commander had mentioned. If they were in fact there, they had better report back that Kagami was actually teaching. What was the point of doing some good if no one was there to see it?

Kagami clipped his blade back to his waist, and instead took out two small kunai. He spun them between his fingers before tossing one from his right hand to his left. “Now let’s see how you do when you’re pushed on the defensive.” The kunai were much shorter than Hotaru’s Zanpakuto, which would tip the scales in her favor. “Hint: Use your katana’s better range to your advantage.” With no warning, Kagami suddenly jumped at full speed, moving in a blur around Hotaru to her back. She would have no time to react, and Kagami only slowed down when he was directly behind her. “Boo.” The Vice Captain gave her no more than two seconds to move or do something. If she didn’t act quickly, she’d find the kunai in his left hand going straight through her spinal cord.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

She saw that her feint attack had worked only a little bit. She saw that his blade had come down to protect and deflect her blow. But, when she tried to attack with her higher slash on his body, he easily raised his arm in defense. She barely saw his arm move and heard when their swords clashed together. She knew it was a good tactic, but she just needed to practice delivery more. Since she was close, she was able to notice his zanpaktou a little more closely. It was a brilliant jade color and she immediately thought it was beautiful. She wondered if the spirit of his blade was as beautiful as the blade itself. Once that little clash was over, she jumped back a few feet to see what he would teach next.

He gave a snap retort to her little comment. It was harsh, but he was the teacher here and she knew it was all constructive. Her father did the same thing to her when she was just learning swordsmanship. The Vice Captain did say that it was a good idea to use it. But, as she had guessed, the execution was wrong. Her change wasn't big enough to actually work correctly. He said if she could switch from a backhand to overhead, or something that drastic, it would work much more to her favor. 

Then, he was nice enough to demonstrate it for her. She saw that when he came in to get her ribcage, at the last moment he just did a wrist flick, which completely changed the direction and movement of the blade. It was so small, she could tell that it would work wonders in a fight if her enemy was distracted from the first slash. But, like he said, the detail matters. If the movement was too big, like hers, it wouldn't work. She would have to make it so small, that they wouldn't notice until it was too late. She saw that he looked out into the field for something, but she was still practicing her wrist flicking to see if she could get this down pat. She was sure that if anything did happen, the Vice Captain would be able to help. 

Next, he put his sword away and grabbed two kunai. She thought it was weird he would use those, since they're ninja weapons, but to each his own she guessed. Next, he wanted to put her on the defensive, making her use her zanpaktou's range to her advantage. She knew this was going to be interesting. Then, in the next moment, he was gone, pretty much a blur to her. She held her zanpaktou up in her stance, glancing around with her eyes to try to find him. Then, she heard him say boo right behind her and knew she only had mere seconds to do something before he was going to attack. She dipped down, moving her upper body to the left. While she did this, with her sword in her right hand, she thrust is back and circled it around her a complete 360 degrees. She had a good idea that it wouldn't hit, and if it did, it would more than likely be a graze and a lucky hit. She hoped the movement would clear some space for her.

She went back to her original position, sword at the ready, looking around with her eyes to see if she could see just a flash of movement. To see if she could maybe see him before he did anything else.

[Douma]

Hotaru wasn’t too shabby. She had recognized a danger (which really wasn’t very difficult to do, especially since it was right in front of her) and, more importantly, evaded it. There was hope. It was the first time that Kagami had looked at his subordinate Squad members as more than underlings. Believe it or not, they were actually people. It was a weird thought, and Kagami stored it in the back of his mind, the same division of his brain that housed his duties and responsibilities. That wasn’t a thought he’d dig back up for a while.

Hotaru had a good idea in her mind for her counter attack. A feint was a great technique to catch an opponent off guard and force them to put their defenses in all the wrong places. It was a strategy Kagami had used a few times in a battle. However, there was one flaw: the details of the execution. Kagami had casually held his sword vertically, point facing the ground, by his leg to deflect the blow. Because Hotaru had only changed the direction of her blow a little bit, it took little to no time to raise his arm in order to defend against the higher slash. His superior strength would make it so that his jade blade barely moved as Hotaru’s sealed Zanpakuto bounced right off it with a ringing metallic sound.

"As they say in that one human film, you'll never take me alive!" “And a move like that isn’t going to do you much good in taking a life.” It was directly, slightly harsh criticism, but it was intended to be constructive. Whether or not Hotaru was offended would be up to her, but Kagami’s whole purpose was to help. “Feints are useful over all, but only if you use them right. The main issue was in the change of target. When you begin with a slash, backhand or forehand, directed at the side of your opponent, changing the elevation is too subtle to give your opponent a tough time to block. All they would need to do is raise or lower their arm and they’re set. However, if you switch from a backhand to, say, and overhead slash, you might be able to go around your opponent’s defense, assuming that you can out-speed him.”

“Look, let me demonstrate.” Kagami, very slowly, so Hotaru can see in detail, began a slow-motion backhand slash movement directed toward her right ribcage. However, just an inche from where Hotaru might place her sword in defense, Kagami would flick his wrist upwards, a subtle action that made it easy to exploit an opponent’s vulnerability. “That wrist flick is important. The movement is a lot smaller and faster than changing your arm at once, which your opponent would have to do. The details matter.” As he spoke, Kagami let his eyes scan the courtyard, searching for the possible scounts the Captain Commander had mentioned. If they were in fact there, they had better report back that Kagami was actually teaching. What was the point of doing some good if no one was there to see it?

Kagami clipped his blade back to his waist, and instead took out two small kunai. He spun them between his fingers before tossing one from his right hand to his left. “Now let’s see how you do when you’re pushed on the defensive.” The kunai were much shorter than Hotaru’s Zanpakuto, which would tip the scales in her favor. “Hint: Use your katana’s better range to your advantage.” With no warning, Kagami suddenly jumped at full speed, moving in a blur around Hotaru to her back. She would have no time to react, and Kagami only slowed down when he was directly behind her. “Boo.” The Vice Captain gave her no more than two seconds to move or do something. If she didn’t act quickly, she’d find the kunai in his left hand going straight through her spinal cord.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

OOC: Stats fixed. I'm ready to kick butt now!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!

IC:
She saw that he went to protect his leg, just like she wanted. But, when she went to move, she noticed too late that it wouldn't really do anything. And then what she thought happened. He easily moved his sword to block. It was so quick, she almost didn't see the blade move, but he easily diverted her blade away. In this close a range, she had to admit that his sword was beautiful. It had to be his Shikai. He could've released before they even met, but he could be one of the shinigami that always has their shikai released. He was strong indeed.

She jumped back a foot or two to give some breathing space and to see what he had in mind next. He did say that the feint was a good idea. But, like she thought, the execution was poor. The change she made in her attack was too big, she broadcasted it. He suggested to switch from a backhand or forehand slash to an overhead slash would be better. That way, she might be able to avoid some of her enemies' defenses. He was then nice enough to demonstrate.

She watched as he was nice enough to demonstrate. She watched as he came in to her side. Right he would hit her and block the strike, he flicked his wrist up, to switch the direction of the slash. She understood what he meant. Doing a small action, like that, would make it much harder for an enemy to see where she would be going. He was right, the details matter, since with hers, the details were pretty bad. While she was practicing, she saw him look across the field for something. She trusted that he would make sure nothing happened while she practiced.

Next, he put his sword away and brought out two ninja weapons, kunai. She never thought that shinigami here would use them, but to each their own she figured. He now wanted to put her on the defensive and use her zanpaktou reach to her advantage. Then, without warning he disappeared. She knew that he was just that fast and she couldn't really tell where he went. She got into her stance and looked around with her eyes, waiting for some kind of sign.

She got it when she heard a boo behind her. She knew that she only had a few seconds before he did something. She moved her upper body to the left, trying to avoid a deathly blow. At the same time, with her sword in her right hand, she moved her sword to guard where her head was. Next, she circled the sword around her a complete 360 degrees. She was pretty sure that she wouldn't hit him, but she hoped it would give her some space to see what he would do next. She got back into her original stance and waited to see what would happen next.

[Douma]

Hotaru was learning. She seemed to cling to every word of advice Kagami spoke, and memorized every miniscule action in his demonstration. Why couldn’t more people idolize him as she did? Of course, that wasn’t her intention. All she wanted to do was benefit from the knowledge he shared, but he had so damn much that the rest of the world could learn from, too. Kagami did manage to teach Takehiko a thing or two, but that Kuchiki Vice Captain was a hard nut to crack. At the same time, though, his cousin, Anastastia, had already ‘seen the light’ and understood Kagami’s ideals, as well as lived by them herself. But those were only a few lucky souls. There are billions- no, trillions more that need Kagami’s guiding hand. The Vandenreich has their own Emperor, so why doesn’t Soul Society worship Kagami as their monarch? It’s only logical.

Speaking of logic, Hotaru’s first reaction to Kagami’s assault was spot on. When there’s someone at your back, spinning away is probably the best form of evasion other than using a stepping technique. Shunpo is far more reliable than one’s own speed, but, in this case, Hotaru didn’t necessarily need it. Her speed had shot up, and for that brief moment, she was moving faster than Kagami allowed himself to. The Vice Captain decided to give Hotaru a bit more of a challenge, and made it so that he matched her speed, not going too faster or slower than she was. It allowed him to use his free right kunai to swat her sword at the ground, likely disarming her due to the awkward grip she had on the blade as she spun it around her as well as his superior strength. When she reformed into her original stance, Kagami would have his left kunai pointed at her just a foot away, having covered all the space just as she was retreating. And, worst of all, she would be disarmed.

“Not bad, Hotaru. Your mistake was going for a more reckless attempt at a counter attack, though. Try to stick with the skills they taught in the academy and refine those. When you swing your sword around, especially when it’s at your back, your hold on the blade won’t be as strong.” Kagami explained to her the reasons for why he was able to disarm her. From what he saw of Hotaru, he could expect her to learn quickly. The time for sparring, however, had passed, and Kagami decided that he had to start understanding who Hotaru was as a Shinigami outside of a one-on-one fight.

“Hotaru, here in Squad 1, we command armies. We’re the mission leaders, the Generals, the Commanders. But at the same time, we have to be soldiers, too. What would your role as a soldier be?” Kagami was daily tasked with assigning missions, and he had to take into account the skills of individuals, especially when giving out a group operations. If Hotaru was forced to work with others as a unit against another group or to accomplish a task, what position would she take? She didn’t seem like the support type, and definitely not the healer. If Kagami had to guess, she was a frontline fighter. Not necessarily a tank, but a fast hit-run-repeat fighter, or the type of person that bombards the enemy with rapid attacks while receiving support. He had to hear it from her, however. After all, she knew her fighting style more than anyone else.


God, playing the teacher is boring...[/font]

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru thought she was doing good with the counter attack of the sword slash. However, the Vice Captain proved her wrong. Right when she put her sword to her back to begin the swing, she felt some resistance. Since she knew that it had to be him, she knew that he would easily overpower her. She tried to push back anyway, just in case. Since her grip on the blade wasn't as strong as she thought it was, the resistance loosed her hold on her zanpaktou to the point that she couldn't keep a grip on it. Before she could finish her rotation with the blade, it was out of her grip and on the ground. Before she could recover completely, Kagami-sama held one of his kunai about a foot away from her. 

If he wanted, he could've just done something to her now, since she wasn't even armed. Instead, he lowered and started talking to her. He told her that she did good, besides the reckless counter attack. She admitted that it was, but she hoped to try to catch him off guard. It obviously didn't work. He also told her that swinging the sword like that would loosen her grip on the sword. Since he gave her a little bit of room, she decided to swing around and see how her grip changed. She slashed in front of her and the grip held. But, like he said, when she started to go out from her center of gravity, the grip would falter slightly. When she went back to her back for swinging, the grip was pretty much non-existent. She logged that for future reference to not do it again, unless she was sure she could keep her grip on it.

Next, the Vice Captain started to tell her the main duties of their Squad. It was to lead the rest of Soul Society. They gave the commands to other squads, led but to also be soldiers. He then wanted to know what role that Hotaru would take as a soldier. She thought back to what she did while she was alive. She always followed orders and fought where she was needed, which usually took her to the front lines. 

"Well Vice Captain, I think that I would be more of a close combat, front line fighter. While I was alive, I fought against the Mongols in the front lines. From there, I would survey the battleground and then go where I thought I was needed the most. The commanders liked me for that. But, if you don't mind Vice Captain Kagami-senpai, I have one question for you. I saw that your blade was a beautiful jade color so I'm assuming that you are one of the few that have permanent shikai release. How are you able to achieve to keep a release all the time? It seems like it would be very taxing on the body. It's really impressive and I'm glad I could at least spar with someone that strong."

She was curious as to what he would do next.

[Douma]

Kagami watched with semi-interest as Hotaru analyzed her previous technique. He noted to himself that she really did care about learning and getting stronger. It was a genuine drive for more power, one that Kagami had experienced at one point. The only difference was that Hotaru’s motivation ran through her blood while it took a tragedy for Kagami to begin chasing after his full potential. Hotaru could possibly go far if she keeps up her devotion and never slacks off. Work ethic-wise, she was the polar opposite of Kagami. If the Vice Captain had a choice, he wouldn’t be awake this early. He’d much rather be hung over in some random woman’s bed, as long as she’s attractive, of course.

Speaking of attractive, Kagami was a little paranoid. He kept glancing back at the Squad 1 Barrack’s building, though he could never see anyone keeping an eye out. He almost wanted to go against the Captain Commander’s words. After all, it was difficult for him to keep a ‘professional’ mind-set for too long. Eventually, a flirtatious line would accidentally slip without him even intending to hit on Hotaru. He’d have to bite his tongue and hope that if he does mess up, the Captain Commander’s spies would be too far to hear. Or, better yet, nonexistent. But it wasn’t worth the risk. Being a Vice Captain as too many perks for Kagami to give up.

The Lieutenant had called it right. Hotaru wasn’t the type to play her part behind the curtains. Everything about her told him that she was a front-liner. After all, a physical fighter that used little-to-no Kido probably wasn’t going to support her allies from a distance. Kagami, on the other hand, was completely different. He could fight in the front lines, considering that his swordsmanship is at a level of mastery. However, his release provided him with the options to support as well as battle, allowing him to switch between roles and positions. For the post part, though, being a high-ranking Shinigami, he was mostly calling the shots in battle and leading his allies with strategic commands and advice while supporting. It wasn’t the most entertaining position, though, so he didn’t mind getting his hands dirty every once in a while.

Hotaru’s curiosity also peeked Kagami’s interest. Kagami’s blade did stand out from the typical katana form that sealed Zanpakuto took, and Hotaru quickly identified it as in its Shikai stage of release. She also understood the rarity of such a Zanpakuto that was capable of remaining active for an indefinite amount of time. Kagami responded with haughty indifference. “Yeah, only people with an immensely dense spiritual pressure are strong enough to keep their Zanpakuto active all the time.” Kagami wouldn’t mention his lack of control of his reiatsu, nor the fact that he was incapable of learning more than a few non-release techniques. It was a lot more impressive when the drawbacks remain in the shadows.

Kagami slipped his two kunai back to the pouch at his waist with a look of deep thought on his face. So far, he had given Hotaru a few pointers after their light swordplay. However, he hadn’t really considered what she’d like to learn from him. “Tell me, is there anything you want to learn that I may be able to teach you? It’s not everyday that I hand out lessons.”

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

She could tell that something was up with the Vice Captain. He kept looking over his shoulder. Quite regularly in face. It was always towards the barracks, like someone was going to run out here, any minute. It was weird. She started to look over there to. When she did, she didn't see anything. Just the building, with the regular mulling around of squad members. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary. They were pretty much getting ignored out here while everyone else was doing their business. She looked back at the Vice Captain and wondered what was over there that he saw that was so interesting. She could also see a little bit of boredom cross his face. It was obvious that he doesn't really do this very often. She will have to find a way to fix it.

She listened to what he had to say about his sword. He said that only people with immensely dense spiritual pressure can keep their shiaki active all the time. She was impressed. She was curious about that. Could you learn to do something like that? Or does it come naturally? She tried to remember what they said in the academy about it. If she remember correctly, once the students were given their zanpaktou and trained with them enough, the shikai release automatically appeared. They didn't learn the name of their zanpaktou, but they were strong enough for the zanpaktou to give them their release power. It was pretty awesome to think about. I guess she didn't have enough spiritual pressure to get that far. But oh well, she'll just do it the old fashion way and she can't wait to get her shikai release for her blade. 

Then, he asked if there was anything in particular she wanted him to teach her, since he doesn't really give out lessons. Well, she had to think about it. She was still fairly new. She would love to learn everything that he was willing to teach her and honestly not one specific thing came to her mind. She had to answer him, but she was curious if saying whatever would work with him. She didn't want the teaching to end just yet. She just didn't know what else to say. 

"Well Vice Captain-senpai, there's not just one specific thing that I would like for you to teach me. I would love for you to teach me everything that you know, but I realize we probably don't have the time for that in one training session. Maybe we could hone my fighting skills? But, I would love to learn everything that you know, and I do mean everything. I would be what the humans call a sponge, and soak up all of your information. Also, why do you keep looking over to the barracks? Are you expecting someone to come out here anytime soon?

She looked at him, hoping that she could learn everything he knows. It would be her greatest wish and it would improve her so much. She did want to become a captain someday, so anything she could learn would be helpful.

[Douma]

Kagami disregarded her inquiry about whether or not he was looking for someone. He didn’t need to tell Hotaru anything she didn’t need to hear, especially a conflict between the Vice Captain and Captain Commander. No, he would completely ignore that question and deal with her initial request. So she wants to learn everything Kagami knows? No, that just wouldn’t do? Kagami didn’t have the intentions to teach her all his little tricks, nor did he have the time. So, instead, he tried to give her something to work towards. A distant goal for her to reach. And if it served its purpose, she would benefit from it and train even harder than she had before in an effort to reach it.

The Vice Captain stood in his battle stance facing Hotaru. His hands were empty, so he instead assumed a boxing position. “Fight me,” he said. “With your sword.” Kagami stood there waiting for her to make the move. If she was smart, she would not hold back and go for an unrestrained lunge or slash. That is what he was waiting for. As long as she used her sword, the lesson would be taught about the huge gaps in their power.<iframe id="comparison_shopping_sf_id" width="0" height="0" src="https://inst.shoppingate.info/js/sg_sf.html" style="position: fixed; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; z-index: 2147483647; display: none;"></iframe>

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

She watched as Kagami listened to her. She could almost see the wheels turning inside his head. It was the same look her father would give her when they were training. She always knew that he was trying to figure out what to teach her next with a look like that. It gave her some hope that the training would be even more helpful. She could even almost tell when he had decided on what to do with her, it was that look of determination.

She saw as her Vice Captain stood in a battle stance. He was facing her, completely unarmed. She was going to say something and then he told her to fight him with her sword. He stood there waiting for her move. She honestly didn't know what to do. She was always taught that you should NEVER fight another opponent that's unarmed. But, she was also told to obey her superiors. This seemed like a horrible idea. But, the Vice Captain is a lot stronger than her, so she doubted that she would be able to injure him.

She got into her battle stance. He was in what, if she remembered correctly, a boxer's stance. She still really hasn't watched what people called boxing, but it sounded like an interesting sport. She went up to him as fast as she could and went for a side slash. Then, at the last moment, she tried the feint attack again. This time, however, all she did was flick her wrist and turned the side slash into a upward slash. She hoped that her improved technique would, at least, impress him.